Dave Wolf

For The Daily News

We are blessed with a wide variety of turtles here in Pennsylvania. But, it is doubtful they will ever attract the attention other species of wildlife do.

We all remember the fable of the tortoise and the hare, where surprisingly the turtle won. Today, it’s a toss-up which one grabs most of our interest.

The painted turtle is as beautiful as they come, and who hasn’t seen them basking on logs or rocks in area lakes? According to the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC), “Basking in the sun is important for turtles and most reptiles to ensure proper regulation of temperature. Turtles are 'poikilothermic,' a term derived from Greek words meaning 'variable temperature.' It means that their body temperature is largely governed by the temperature of their surroundings. Basking elevates body temperature and results in an increased metabolic rate to assist in obtaining food and digestion. Elevated body temperatures are also needed to avoid and fight off infections. Therefore, a lack of appropriate basking locations can limit the presence or abundance of painted turtles.”

What many of us did not know is; “Two subspecies, the eastern painted turtle (Chrysemys picta picta) and the midland painted turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata), are found in Pennsylvania. They are very closely related. As subspecies they can, and do, interbreed to produce offspring. Throughout their shared range, interbreeding produces what is known to biologists as an 'intergrade.'"

Under the fishing and boating regulations, a properly licensed person may collect one painted turtle per day, and have a total of one painted turtle in possession. However, the PGBC does not encourage people to collect these turtles. Turtles kept as pets usually soon become ill because of the lack of a proper diet, insufficient heat or from disease or parasites. Unfortunately, when pet turtles become ill, people often return them to the wild. This is an unwise practice because unhealthy individuals may be released into a healthy wild population, which risks spreading disease. In addition, if a turtle is released into some other area than where it was initially collected, it may not be adapted to survive in its new habitat.

Snapping turtles, on the other hand, do draw a lot of attention. The reason is that they are big turtles, and easy to spot when not diving underwater. The common snapping turtle is the largest Pa. turtle. Adult snappers can reach a shell length of 12 inches, and typically weigh between 15 and 45 pounds. An exceptional snapper found in Wayne County was weighed by commission staff in 2006 at over 60 pounds.

As the name “snapping” turtle suggests, this species uses its powerful jaws to capture prey, and defend itself if provoked. However, they will usually attempt to flee if disturbed. Snapping turtles are one of the most aquatic turtle species, spending a majority of their time resting on the bottom of deep pools, or buried in the mud in shallow water with their eyes and nostrils exposed.

During the day, they can be seen floating just beneath the water’s surface with only eyes and nostrils protruding. Throughout their range, snapping turtles are hunted for food for personal consumption, or the restaurant trade. They are often killed because they are mistakenly believed to be major predators of young waterfowl.

Indeed, snapping turtles are opportunists, and will consume many types of food, both plant and animal. However, snapping turtles are important scavengers of dead and decomposing aquatic animals. Research has shown that 80 percent or more of their diet typically consists of aquatic vegetation such as duckweed.

But, this is one turtle than can inflict damage if you’re not careful. When I was a youngster, my father showed me the strength of a snapping turtle we had found on a dirt road. He held a rather large stick in front of it, and the snapper bit it in half. My dad then pulled a broom from the back of his pickup truck, and the turtle latched on to it and wouldn’t let go!

There have been quite a few cases in which snapping turtles have attacked humans that have tried touching them, or made them feel threatened in some way. Some people have even lost a finger or another body part to these creatures. When provoked, these turtles will not hesitate to bite, and they typically do not let go for quite some time once they do.

These turtles are equipped with great claws that can do some damage. They are also incredibly strong creatures on their feet. One of the main reasons they are so aggressive, compared to other turtle species, is because unlike most turtles, they are unable to retract back into their shell when feeling threatened. Their plastron (ventral shell) is too small for them to complete this task. The PFBC allows 15 snapping turtles per day, with 30 in possession. The season on these is from July 1 through Oct. 31.

There are a wide variety of turtles in Pennsylvania, but one in particular that Karen and I found on a hike brought forth my curiosity. Sternotherus odoratus is a species of small turtle native to southeastern Canada, and much of the Eastern United States. It is also known as the common musk turtle, or “stinkpot,” due to its ability to release a foul musky odor from scent glands on the edge of its shell, possibly to deter predation.

We actually smelled the turtle before we were able to find it. Karen has a very keen sense of smell, and we searched and searched the leaf litter before finding the first one, and then another.

They were apparently crossing from one small stream to another. Like all turtles, they must nest on land, and shoreline real estate development is becoming very detrimental to their survival. Fallen trees and coarse woody debris are known to be important components of wetland habitat, and may be particularly beneficial to basking turtles. They hibernate buried in the mud under logs, sometimes even using a muskrat lodge for their winter abode.

Turtles are an important strand in nature’s web of life, and when we take time to observe and learn, we realize the significance of each component.

Free-lance writer Dave Wolf can be reached at wolfang418@msn.com.