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Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtles

The Eastern spiny softshell turtles in Lake Champlain are internationally significant as the only existing population in this region of North America. Last year, partners from the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Ministere de l’Environment et de la Faune, Quebec Ecomuseum, and this office radio tagged and monitored ten Eastern spiny softshell turtles captured within the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge. One significant result of the monitoring was the discovery of an important nesting site which we attempted to monitor 10 to 14 hours per day at the height of nesting activities (Figure 10). However, our presence within 200 meters of the beach interfered with the turtle’s normal nesting behavior.

In FY2000 our office obtained a Challenge Cost Share Grant to focus on nesting success of the softshell turtles. We used four wide-angle, high-resolution, black and white cameras to monitor the nesting beach. The cameras were able to take detailed “snapshots” at programed intervals in high to low light conditions. Pictures were recorded simultaneously onto a video tape, enabling us to have a “birds-eye” view of the beach without disturbing the normal behavior of the turtles.

From the videos we were able to determine the number of nesting Eastern spiny softshell turtles, locate individual nests, ascertain time and date of egg laying, monitor the amount and types of disturbances at the site, and obtain baseline data on other turtle species that utilize the beach area.