Turtles make their first appearance!
Turtles across Forest Park are waking up as the weather starts to warm. During the cold winter months, turtles and many other cold-blooded animals brumate. While in this state, these animals minimize movement, reduce food intake, and slow down their metabolism. Before doing this, many turtles burrow into the soil in search of a safe place to wait out the winter while they conserve energy. As temperatures begin to rise in the spring, these turtles begin to resurface. Over the past few weeks, The Forest Park Living Lab team has spotted Red Eared Sliders (Trachemys elegans) lounging on logs and other debris as they try to soak up the warm sun.
A Red Eared Slider enjoying the sunny spring weather
A posse of Red Eared Sliders hanging out on a log.
Kennedy, Tom, Ainoa, Alejandra, and Lenore, three-toed box turtles (Terrapene triunguis) tracked by the Forest Park Living Lab, have also exhibited more activity. In March, we spotted their shells poking out of the ground, and they have now resumed walking around the park looking for food like worms, berries, and bugs.
Intern Aidan Percer tracking Alejandra and an additional three-toed box turtle (green arrow)!
However, fluctuating temperatures this winter may have caused turtles to end brumation before the environment has truly warmed up, putting them at risk of dying to cold weather. These environmental circumstances may hurt the already struggling three-toed box turtle population in Forest Park, which already face threats from vehicles, controlled burns, and off-leash dogs. To understand the risks faced by these turtles, the St. Louis Box Turtle Project (which the Forest Park Living Lab grew out of) studies the health and movement of these turtles at two sites: Forest Park and Tyson Research Center. These data are used to monitor how changes in the environment and human behavior have affected box turtles, with the hope of guiding future initiatives aimed at supporting these species. In the meantime, if you see a turtle out in Forest Park, wave hello for the Forest Park Living Lab!
Tom, a Box turtle in Forest Park, beginning to surface in response to the warmer weather
By Aidan Percer, Saint Louis Zoo Institute for Conservation Medicine intern.