Chelonians (turtles and tortoises) are one of the most imperiled taxa worldwide. They have suffered from a host of insults, including habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, collection and international trade, and increasing mesopredator populations. All of these are threats to the 11 species of turtles that call Ohio home. Declines can be especially problematic for species that have two attributes that are generally not fully appreciated by wildlife managers and the public:
- Many turtles have long life spans. Woodland Box Turtles have been documented to live over 100 years. A Blanding’s Turtle captured in Michigan in 2016 was at least 83 years old. While their ability to live long lives may not be a secret, many people are unaware that their life-history often requires these species to live long lives in order for populations to remain viable. Eggs and juveniles have naturally high mortality, but this is offset by adult turtles that reproduce throughout their long lives and naturally have low mortality.
- There is no evidence that our turtles “compensate” in response to decreased density. That is, the harvest of turtles does not result in the remaining animals growing faster, maturing earlier, or having larger or more frequent clutches of eggs. This stands in contrast to most game species, where compensation helps to replenish harvested populations.