🔦Spotlight: 🐢Turtles 🐢!

At the June OPCL meeting, we learned some interesting facts from Jill Doczi about Diamondback turtles at Pleasure House Point! Jill is a Dept of Wildlife Rehabber and volunteered to be on call in case the PHP Wetlands construction project encountered any turtles or eggs. The construction workers on the project were all in to help. They extended the turtle exclusion barriers so turtles would not enter the area to lay their eggs and when a clutch of 13 eggs was unearthed, they contacted Jill and they were able to retrieve the eggs. Six eggs of the eggs hatched! Jill has been caring for them and they will be released soon at PHP. In gratitude for the many actions of the construction team for their help throughout the project, the turtles were named for them!

Interesting Facts!

• Diamondback Turtles live their whole lives in the water. They come on land only to lay eggs.
• The new wetlands will provide a large area of the marsh habitat that diamondback turtles thrive in .
• These turtles are able to live in brackish water because they can regulate their sodium levels through a gland (lachrymal salt glands) that allows them to excrete sodium through their tears!
• Greatest predation problem for the turtles is dogs off leash.