Sequoia Dixon displays 2 wood turtles that her research study dog June, a yellow laboratory, discovered in a Maine stream this spring. (Courtesy of Sequoia Dixon)
Maine wildlife biologists are utilizing a brand-new method to track wood turtle populations and keep the animals from being offered unlawfully as animals.
Stories of unlawful wildlife smuggling are most typical in Asia, Africa and South America, where birds and animals such as rhinos and elephants are frequently poached and offered in markets for millions.
But turtle smuggling is on the increase in the United States, with traffickers frequently crossing global borders to offer the animals as unique animals.
In 2020 federal representatives separated a smuggling ring that had actually offered 1,500 unlawfully obtained turtles from the United States to China, consisting of Hong Kong, for as much as $20,000 each. That consisted of spotted turtles, which are threatened in the United States, and wood turtles, which up until now are not however are under factor to consider, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Turtle trafficking is not understood to have actually occurred in Maine up until now. But that has actually not stopped Sequoia Dixon, a field biologist professional with Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, and her research study buddy June, a 3 ½-year-old yellow laboratory, from attempting to guarantee the state’s wood turtles don’t end up being traffickers’ next victims.
Three years back, Dixon assisted the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service conduct field studies of Maine turtle populations within locations thought about wildlife havens. This spring, Dixon signed up with 2 Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife interns for the very first state study of those populations.
She likewise utilized June, among just a couple of dogs in Maine who up until now are trained to seek turtles in water and on land.
“She’s a friend’s dog that I was babysitting. When we’d go out for walks, she kept finding wood turtles. And then it clicked,” Dixon said. “It really didn’t take long to train her because she already loved finding turtles.”
When Dixon informs June to “Find it,” the laboratory will explore water or greenery and after that rest where she has actually discovered a turtle. This spring, June and her human beings explored streams throughout the state searching for wood turtles, which normally remain in those waterways up until laying their eggs on sandy beaches in late spring.
Dixon benefits June with treats after the dog discovers a turtle. The canine has actually logged a remarkable performance history throughout western, northern and eastern Maine counties.
“She has been on a total of 48 survey kilometers and has found 62 turtles,” Dixon said.
Using dogs to track particular types of wildlife is still a fairly brand-new practice in the United States, Dixon said. So far she is just familiar with scientists in Maine and New York who use dogs to discover wood turtles.
Though not threatened yet, Dixon said that wood turtles are still susceptible to being trafficked as unlawful animals due to their huge red necks, golden eyes and detailed shell patterns. That’s why field biologists never ever divulge the places of their turtle studies.
To track the turtles, scientists mark the animals’ shells with a triangular pattern that provides a unique number ID. They likewise position an unique tag under a turtle’s skin, so if they’re discovered once again, scientists understand precisely where that turtle originated from.
The tracking innovation might can be found in convenient if Maine ever has a turtle trafficking arrest, Dixon said.
“It’s the same as putting a computer chip in your dog’s collar in case they get lost,” Dixon said.
But the objective is to avoid wood turtles from being drawn from their natural environments, therefore putting them in risk of population decrease. Even when trafficked turtles are discovered, they quickly capture illness like ranavirus, which can eliminate whole populations.
If anybody areas wood turtles near their property, Dixon said they ought to call their closest video game warden. They can likewise send images and details online through the Maine Amphibian & Reptile Atlas.
And if you identify a dog heading into the woods with wildlife biologists, don’t inform anybody where they’re headed.
“We take this very seriously. It would be cool to say, ‘Hey, there’s a wood turtle in your backyard,’ but we can’t risk identifying where they are,” Dixon said.
