Western Pond Turtles

Baby Turtle Release!

This is what I did last Friday. (Remember the articles I posted? Yeah)! We released the baby Western Pond Turtles (Emys marmorata) that were hatched in our lab last autumn, and raised at the Oakland Zoo. SO BIG! it was kind of sad to say goodbye to my babies (especially #201), but I sent all of them off with good wishes for happy, healthy lives, and to demonstrate their excellent fitness by having LOTS of babies. 😀

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By Wendy St. John, ago

ME AND MY BB!

Turtle #201, aka Neville (they asked me to give him a name when he needed to have surgery; apparently, they like to make things more personal like that at the zoo). This is just a teaser … I’ll post more photos of the baby turtle release once I get them off my camera; this photo was taken by someone else. (Haha, obviously). But yeah … ME AND MY BB! Who is now swimming happily in the lake where his mama lives. I didn’t actually cry when I released him, but I came close. <3 <3 <3

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By Wendy St. John, ago

201

So, this is my favorite turtle! He doesn’t even have a name – he’s just #201. (Well, now he’s actually #801, because of the way we number the babies, but he’ll always be 201 in my heart). He was the tiniest turtle incubated and hatched in our lab for the 2011 season: only 3.32 grams at hatching. So tiny and precious.

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By Wendy St. John, ago

July 2nd

Last day at the field site. To be honest, I’m looking forward to going home. Last night was a bit disappointing. We had four or five turtles out of the water, but no nests. Turtle 240, the double-clutch female, did attempt to nest, but she hit a rock. There was another aborted attempt right near the water, as well. Hopefully, tonight will be better. There are several females with telemetry out, so hopefully we’ll get a couple of nests. Ah well, it’s fun, anyway.
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By Wendy St. John, ago

My Field Season Has Begun

Female western pond turtles (Emys marmorata): their nesting season has begun at my field site in Lake County, Calfornia. The turtle in the first photo (#222, a recapture we first encountered in 2010) nested on June 6th – and yes, that photo was taken while she was in the process of laying her eggs. And the gorgeous girl in the other photos (#225, also first captured in 2010) nested on June 7th. The turtles seem to be coming out in greater numbers about a week earlier than they did last year.

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By Wendy St. John, ago

June 8

Back from my first trip up to the field site this season – we’ve had five turtles out of the water – four of them have nested successfully, and we’ve put a telemetry unit on the fifth, so hopefully we’ll find out out of the water again in a couple Read more

By Wendy St. John, ago

Baby Turtles!

I was in the City today to weigh and measure our head-start western pond turtles. So, have a couple of pictures of baby turtles! The one in the first photo is my favorite – #201, who was the tiniest baby hatched last year in the lab. (Only 3.32 grams when s/he hatched). S/he’s more than ten times that weight now. *loves* Also, a goofy picture of me. 😛

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By Wendy St. John, ago