{"id":994,"date":"2016-05-27T09:37:04","date_gmt":"2016-05-27T14:37:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vetmed.illinois.edu\/wel\/?p=994"},"modified":"2017-08-09T10:09:33","modified_gmt":"2017-08-09T15:09:33","slug":"prepping-for-turtle-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vetmed.illinois.edu\/wel\/prepping-for-turtle-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Prepping for Turtle Team"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Kayla Boers, a third year veterinary student at the University of Illinois, draws blood from the subcarapacial sinus of an Eastern Box Turtle.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>

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Just closed the books on my second year of veterinary school and we’re heading to the forests of Illinois to capture turtles! This will be my second year helping conduct this Eastern Box Turtle health survey for the Wildlife Epidemiology Lab (W.E.L.), so I\u2019m super stoked.\u00a0Our team of veterinarians, biologists, and veterinary students has an almost-too-cheesy-name associated with it\u2014Turtle Team<\/strong>!<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Dr. Matt Allender is the main veterinarian behind developing W.E.L. and the Turtle Team.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>

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Dr. Laura Adamovicz is a veterinarian and PhD student associated with W.E.L.’s wildlife population health surveys.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>

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Megan Britton is a second year veterinary student that is also helping conduct Turtle Team efforts.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>

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Due to their long lifespan and home range, the Eastern Box Turtle is proposed as a sentinel of ecosystem health.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>

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Eastern Box Turtles (Terrepene carolina carolina<\/em>) are deemed\u00a0vulnerable<\/a>\u00a0as a species by IUCN. Their habitat varies from tidal wetlands and meadows to deciduous forests. These home ranges often extend into adjacent\u00a0habitats, which include: fields, pastures, suburban areas, ponds, and streams. Human-induced environment damage (i.e. habitat loss or fragmentation, traffic mortality, or collection for personal use) and recently identified pathogens (i.e. ranavirus<\/a>) contribute to potential declines\u00a0in the population size of these turtles.<\/p>\n

This is why wildlife population health surveys and other conservation efforts are so important!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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General process during the average day with the Turtle Team:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. Capture Eastern Box Turtles utilizing\u00a0turtle dogs<\/a>\u00a0and record capture location data<\/li>\n
  2. Transport turtles to our sampling area at the site after the 2-3 hour search effort<\/li>\n
  3. Collect blood and oral\/cloacal<\/a> swabs from each turtle<\/li>\n
  4. Record demographic data (i.e. shell measurements, age classification, etc) and physical exam findings<\/li>\n
  5. Return each turtle to the exact location at which we found them via GPS units<\/li>\n
  6. Complete labwork at the W.E.L. in Champaign-Urbana<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>
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    An Eastern Box Turtle poses with a syringe case in order to keep his shell open for a physical exam.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>

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    John Rucker’s turtle dogs searching for Eastern Box Turtles. Rarely can you see them all in one picture since they are searching so avidly.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>

    For the first week of Turtle Team we’re surveying turtle populations at 4 sites in Vermilion County:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

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