World Turtle Day Saturday May 23 2020

RickVaughn

Active Member
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trailhead

JORBA: Wildcat/Splitrock
JORBA.ORG
interesting timing on this post because in wildcat there is a clearing in the lowlands that has been used by box turtles for years as a nesting ground. It is also where the motorcycles like to ride in circles, do donuts, run over my trail markers, and generally scorch the earth. My tendency is to hate the motos for the blatant lack of appreciation for the environment, but at the same time I suspect there is a bit of a symbiotic relationship. The turtles lay the eggs in the berms of the track where it is easy to dig. Had it not been for the disturbance, the area would be grown over and maybe not so easy to dig. After days to weeks, it appears that most eggs are dug up by foxes, raccoons, possums etc as evident from the shrivelled egg casings left behind. The mortality rate is an unknown. Would the nests be better hidden if overgrown, and more survivors? I'm tempted to put up a sign indicating that the area is a turtle nesting site, but deterred as it seems the effort is futile.
 

graveyardman67

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
interesting timing on this post because in wildcat there is a clearing in the lowlands that has been used by box turtles for years as a nesting ground. It is also where the motorcycles like to ride in circles, do donuts, run over my trail markers, and generally scorch the earth. My tendency is to hate the motos for the blatant lack of appreciation for the environment, but at the same time I suspect there is a bit of a symbiotic relationship. The turtles lay the eggs in the berms of the track where it is easy to dig. Had it not been for the disturbance, the area would be grown over and maybe not so easy to dig. After days to weeks, it appears that most eggs are dug up by foxes, raccoons, possums etc as evident from the shrivelled egg casings left behind. The mortality rate is an unknown. Would the nests be better hidden if overgrown, and more survivors? I'm tempted to put up a sign indicating that the area is a turtle nesting site, but deterred as it seems the effort is futile.

Good luck with that. I can't keep them from riding into yard. You would think the big house in front of you is an indicator you went the wrong way.
 

shrpshtr325

Infinite Source of Sarcasm
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Good luck with that. I can't keep them from riding into yard. You would think the big house in front of you is an indicator you went the wrong way.


you give them too much credit if you think they care. I mean a shotgun and a rocking chair on the back deck ought to deter them from doing it again, especially if you can park some sort of digging equipment in plain sight . . . .
 

serviceguy

Well-Known Member
you give them too much credit if you think they care. I mean a shotgun and a rocking chair on the back deck ought to deter them from doing it again, especially if you can park some sort of digging equipment in plain sight . . . .
You meant something like the infamous Mark-1 Plumbing pickup truck?
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1TrackMind

Well-Known Member
my daughter caught this today fishing... hard to see, but a turtle at the end, and then a minute later this guy showed up, pretty big, head the size of softball
 

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