Wildlife at Botany Pond: turtles are back!

Things are moving along at Botany Pond. Although the ducks have left (with only a few returning for a brief visit), six species of native fish have been introduced; a bunch of goldfish that people dumped in (probably from their aquariums) have been removed (none were killed; they are up for adoption and removed because we want only native flora and fauna in the pond); and five large “original” turtles, removed to another pond when Botany Pond was drained and fixed over the last few years, have been put back. This post documents the latest doings.

When 11 turtles were removed several years ago, they were marked by clipping off a bit of shell at the front, and then put for safekeeping in a large pond in southern Illinois. There were other turtles there, too, so to retrieve them for re-introduction to the pond, they had to be trapped, which took some time. One died in their “babysitting” pond, but there are five there, and we hope to get them next Spring.

But on October 2, the first three were released. All of the turtles were red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans), a species that is now native here, as the range has moved northward as the climate warmed. Again, these turtles must have lived in Botany Pond for a number of years when they were removed. Since it’s changed a lot since they lived here, I wonder if they remember it?

The first release.  Here are the turtles in their bucket, restless and ready to go:

One just about to be introduced to the pond, hopefully her forever home. You can see a bit of the red stripe behind her eye.

The species is sexually dimorphic, with males having longer claws than females (they’re used to rake the female’s head before mating and then to hold onto her during the Act). These are short claws, ergo a female. We have at least two of each sex in the pond now, but breeding is unlikely as they bury eggs in the dirt near the pond, and those eggs have historically died during the cold winter. That’s why this is really the northernmost bit of their range.

The bottom of the shell:

Head-on shot:

. . . and the head from below.  These really are beautiful animals:

Here’s a video of the first release. You can clearly see the red stripe on the last turtle released.

They will spend the winter in hibernation; right now Facilities is feeding them frozen smelt, and they can also eat the minnows supplied in the second release (below).  The turtles will spend the winter huddled in special “turtle caves” that Facilities has put on the rocky pond bottom (below); they can breathe from their butts (“cloacal respiration”) while hibernating.  Here’s one of the turtle caves:

Between the first and second release, a fine pair of mallards came to the pond, but, sadly, flew away after a day when snorkelers (!) went into the pond to capture the goldfish. Ducks will not tolerate the presence of any humans in the pond.

I really, really miss the ducks, and almost none have stopped by the Pond on their way south. Here’s the handsome mated pair that we had for two days:

The second release of turtles was on Oct. 9.

The pair in their bucket, raring to go:

Note the red stripe on the head that gives this species its name:

Front view:

Bottom view. As you see, these turtles can be distinguished by the pattern on the bottom of their shells (compare to the ones above and below).

Big difference!  The short claws indicate that this is another girl turtle:

The first released of two.  They seem a bit flummoxed for a short while, and then they take off like a shot.

A close-up video of a released turtle. Note the longer claws: this is a male.

And the released minnows:

The turtles appear to have taken to their homes on the bottom lately (they can go several hours underwater without breathing), and I’ve seen them only rarely.  They get their smelts twice a week and there is also dry turtle food (Mazuri Aquatic Turtle food) and the living minnows.

But I await the ducks next spring. There better be some!