Where do box turtles go, and what do they do?

How long do they live?

Do they change homes or stay put year after year?

Our studies are designed to answer these questions.

Box Turtle Census

Every Wednesday, from May to October, we search one-hundred-meter census plots for Eastern Box Turtles.

We hope to learn several things from this study, including the density of box turtles in a given area.

As answers were revealed, new questions were brought to light:

• Do the turtles that we found live only in that plot or are they simply passing through?
• Are the turtles territorial?

• Howdoesthe turtle population in the plots change with the seasons?

Telemetry Study

Each spring, volunteers capture box turtles and glue small radio transmitters to some of them. This transmitter does not harm or affect the turtle in any way. After the turtle is fitted, it is released where it was originally found.

Later, volunteers follow these turtles with a special radio receiver. The receiver makes a beeping noise, getting louder as it gets closer to the transmitter.

We track the turtles to find out about their habits:

• If they move and, if so, how far.
• The average distance that they travel.
• What their favorite habitats are.

 Our research has revealed that while most people think of turtles as slow and inactive, they actually move great distances; one turtle even moved over 2 miles in a week, and another actually left Jug Bay!