YOUNG MAP TURTLES, LIVE WEBCAM

More info: The ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain along with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department help Spiny Softshell turtles and Map turtles by overwintering them. The turtles were either removed from their nests prematurely by predators, or young that hatched late in cold temperatures, putting them in danger. As a threatened species in Vermont, with only 300 adult specimens estimated to live in the lake, the turtles that are a part of this program have better chances of survival in the wild. Every summer ECHO invites the public to help release the bigger and stronger turtles back into the lake every June. 2020 was their 13th year collaborating with the state on this program.

The spiny softshell turtle is spread throughout most of the United States, from the central-eastern U.S. to Wisconsin and Minnesota, and as far south as Mexico. Its habitat includes rivers, ponds, streams, and lakes with a sandy or muddy bottom and relatively little vegetation.

The spiny softshell turtle is one of the largest freshwater turtle species in North America. They can be told apart from other turtle species by their carapace. Unlike most other turtles, their shell is soft, flat, and rubbery with edges that are pliable and have spines. Males have more spines than the females but their body size is smaller. The turtle’s feet are fully webbed and the nose is long and piglike – acting like a snorkel whilst in the water

Map turtles are named for the yellow “map” or maze-like pattern on their body. They inhabit slow moving fresh water such as rivers, lakes, creeks and ponds. They can often be seen basking on logs and rocks but with the least disturbance, they dive into the water.

Adult turtles are mostly active during the day, feeding on snails and other molluscs, crayfish, freshwater mussels, and aquatic insects in the morning and late afternoon. Female map turtles, which are much larger than the males, are able to crush their prey in their strong jaws. The narrower-headed males have to eat smaller molluscs and insects. During the winter, map turtles tend to hibernate in deep, slow, riverine pools and impoundments. Predators of adult map turtles include raccoons, opossums, skunks, and coyotes.