Potter Park Zoo released 20 Blanding's turtles into the wild this summer after hatching and raising them at the Lansing zoo.
The turtles, a species of special concern in Michigan, were fitted with small radio transmitters before release. The devices can last up to six months and let researchers track where the animals go, how they grow and how well they survive, according to the zoo.
The effort is part of a conservation method called headstarting. Blanding's turtles face habitat loss, road mortality and predation across Michigan, and eggs and newly hatched turtles are especially at risk. Because the species may not reach sexual maturity until 14 to 20 years of age, raising hatchlings past their most vulnerable stage before releasing them can improve their odds of reaching adulthood.
"We spend extensive time watching these turtles grow and preparing them for this moment, but the goal has always been to get them back into the wild," Sarah Foote, Potter Park Zoo's animal programs manager, said in a zoo blog post published Monday, Sept. 14.
The zoo's animal care team worked with the Michigan Natural Features Inventory, a Michigan State University Extension program, to coordinate the release. Herpetologist Yu Man Lee and field technician Morgan Boyer helped identify suitable habitat, and Boyer is using a radio antenna to locate the turtles in the field.
The zoo did not disclose the release site, saying the turtles "deserve a little privacy." Habitat selection criteria included access to water, ground cover and food.
Blanding's turtles are recognizable by their bright yellow necks and dark shells speckled with light-colored spots. Potter Park Zoo, a 20-acre facility accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, asks residents who encounter a turtle or turtle nest in the wild to leave it alone. Turtles and their nests should never be moved, handled or disturbed, the zoo said.
Tracking data from the transmitters could inform future headstarting efforts. No public update on the turtles' progress has been announced.
