By Mavia Haight | Grants Manager
Once common from Baja California to Puget Sound, the small, long-lived western pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata) is listed as endangered in Washington and threatened in Oregon. The Oregon Zoo works to restore this shy reptile to its historic range through a unique head-starting program. With the help of Global Giving supporters, Western pond turtle numbers are on the rise!
With the help of GlobalGiving supporters, another group of Western Pond Turtles is getting their “head-start” at the Oregon Zoo this winter. Twelve turtles hatched in late summer 2014, along with seven hold overs from last year, are currently basking in the warmth and light of a simulated summer. In the wild, hatchlings become dormant in the cold. But the enhanced light and warmth at the zoo stimulates them to continue to eat and grow.
And they are all growing quickly. The seven hold overs who were hatched in 2013 now weigh more than 90 grams and the new hatchlings are 19-75 grams. They will likely be released in July or August of 2015. By this time, they will be large enough to have a fighting chance in the wild.
The turtles are raised in the conservation lab within the Pacific Northwest Exhibit of the Oregon Zoo, so visitors and zoo campers are able to observe their growth and learn more about this important conservation project.
On behalf of the turtles, zoo conservationists and our young learners, thank you!
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