Woodland box turtles, formerly called eastern box turtles, are a subspecies of the common box turtle. The image for August depicts the turtle’s distinctive high-domed carapace with vivid orange and yellow markings. The DNR 2022 Wildlife Calendar features a box turtle painting by West Virginia artist Anna Dolly. “However, box turtles have been declining throughout their range, and West Virginia is no exception.” WHAT ARE WOODLAND BOX TURTLES? “These data will allow us to better assess the population status in West Virginia,” he said. Oxenrider led the DNR project that enlisted West Virginians as “citizen scientists” tracking sightings of woodland box turtles. “That is part of the reason we have established long-term monitoring sites across the state, as well as solicited participation from the public to contribute observation data.” “We do not have an exact number at this time,” said Kevin Oxenrider, amphibian and reptile program leader, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR). The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species lists the woodland box turtle as vulnerable, although scientists do not yet have enough data to say how far the population has fallen. Box turtle numbers have been declining steadily for years. When was the last time you saw a box turtle in the wild?ĭid you, like so many of us, enjoy watching its slow, steady plod through the grass? Were you treated to the sight of a turtle stretching its neck toward low-hanging tomatoes in the garden and snatching a bite with its hooked beak? Have you picked one up to admire closeup, only to have it shut itself away in its protective shell?
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