natural chicago
Turtles
are Biodiversity Ambassadors by Sheryl DeVore
T
urtles have lived on Earth since the dinosaur era, some 60 million years ago. But today, these reptiles with hard shells and soft bodies need help, and they are getting it from groups throughout the Chicago region. The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (NatureMuseum.org), Brookfield Zoo (czs.org), Lincoln Park Zoo (LPZoo.org) and forest preserve and conservation districts in McHenry, Lake, Will and DuPage counties, among other entities, are raising and releasing the state-endangered Blanding’s turtle into the wild. Meanwhile, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC.com) and Friends of the Chicago River (ChicagoRiver.org) are tracking commonly found painted and snapping turtles to see if restoring nature gives them a better chance at survival. “Turtles are a unique part of our natural heritage,” says Gary Glowacki, a wildlife biologist at the Lake County Forest Preserve District (LCFPD.org). “They are an important member of the ecosystem and the food chain. They have been around for a long time. They serve as both predator and a food source for other animals.”
Because they cannot regulate their body temperature like mammals, turtles sun themselves atop logs and rocks in and around bodies of water. Among the most common native turtles seen in the region are painted turtles and snapping turtles. Other natives include the spiny softshell turtle, which has more specific habitat requirements, such as larger bodies of water. Red-eared sliders can be common in some Chicago regions, too. “But historically, they did not occur north of the Kankakee River,” says Michael Dreslik, a biologist specializing in reptiles at the Illinois Natural History Survey (inhs.Illinois.edu). “Likely a combination of range expansion, pet releases and their generalist habit have allowed them to become ubiquitous.” Redeared sliders can become invasive in some parts of the country by competing with native turtle species for food, habitat and other resources, according to the Invasive Species Initiative (InvasiveSpeciesInitiative. com/redeared-slider).
Photo credit: Steven D. Bailey
Painted Turtle
40
Chicago
NAChicago.com
