Vol. 22 Issue 1, Spring 2017 by Lauren White Painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) are the most widely-distributed native turtles in North America with a range that encompasses Atlantic to Pacific and southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The species is, in fact, comprised of several sub-species with distinct traits, and sometimes overlapping geographic ranges. In northern Virginia, you are most likely […]

Do you remember the female Eastern Box Turtle that I found upside down on the Dulles Greenway in May? Well I have good news! In case you missed the story here’s a recap….. It was about 7am and I had just finished the interview for the most excellent Dulles Greenway Drive for Charity, and was […]

Here’s a favorite song of mine, and it’s just perfect this time of year as a great reminder to watch for turtles in the road….and carry them across 🙂 Oh this song is so catchy! httpv://youtu.be/96IRMFOphcc Keep an eye on Julie Zickefoose’s blog to buy the whole CD, “Dream” by the Rain Crows – it’ll be available […]

Watch your roads for turtles crossing. Snappers, painted and box turtles have been reported in numbers recently crossing roads to find mates and to find good places to lay eggs. All turtles (even snappers) can be moved from the road and taken out of harms way. Photo here is of a female box turtle found […]

From the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/commuting/2012/02/01/gIQA5O0Z9Q_story.html?sub=AR We need to watch for this in our amphibians and reptiles here in Loudoun.

Found this video on Eastern Box Turtles that I thought you might enjoy too: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFxABr_WSYc Over the next few months, box turtles will be on the move. Keep an eye out for them in and along roads and move them to safety (in the direction they were moving) so they don’t get killed. It’s important […]

Be on the lookout for turtles crossing the road! The months of April, May, and June are nesting seasons for many turtles. Female aquatic turtles leave the water to find terrestrial nesting sites, and this often requires crossing a road. Helping a turtle move across the road can be the difference between life and death […]

Keep an eye out for Box Turtles and report your sightings to the Virginia Herpetological Society on their Box Turtle Reporting Form. Data we provide will provide insights into Box Turtle populations — of particular importance is to enter sightings of both live and dead turtles.  Unfortunately, the majority of Box Turtles I encounter each spring […]

This article is very applicable to us here in Loudoun, not only because we border West Virginia but also because Wood Turtles and other turtle species live in our midst and we should all be aware of the devastating effects of taking turtles out of their natural habitat. Turtle and Tortoise Newsletter Issue Number 15 – January 2011 […]

We all love our box turtles, don’t we? Well, we have a chance to help make them our state reptile but your email to our state delegates is needed to make this happen. Here are the emails for Joe May DelJMay@house.state.va.us and David Poisson DelDPoisson@house.virginia.gov.  You can find other delegates here. Just a quick note […]