Markus Auer that the
Markus Auer that the water is stained permanently to a dark tea color. The pond is large, and permanent, but is not exceptionally deep. Tree stumps that project themselves out of the water have beautiful moss growth on them. There are more beaver chewed trees and stumps here in this one spot than I have ever seen in my entire life, collectively. Arick Barsch, a good friend was the one to show me the spot. The day of my first visit to the spot, we met elsewhere before I followed him in my car to the location. I frantically jotted down directional notes as we drove, not because Arick wouldn’t want me to come back, but because the route seemed confusing and I preferred not to bother him for directions again when he was already generous enough to share the location. When it is cold, Spotted Turtles are obviously active, but even then it helps if the sun is out. I have seen these little black turtles basking at this location when the temperature is only 36 °F (2 °C). This day, the weather was not great, as it was chilly and the sun was nowhere to be seen. At times like these, with the tea colored water, it helps to have polarized sunglasses, as this is the only way you might find a turtle, besides luck. We spent a good deal of time walking and talking, but I could not help but feel a bit disappointed that we had not found any C. guttata at this site that seemed like perfect habitat. That is, until Arick jumped onto the ground at the water’s edge. He lay there on his stomach with both arms in the water. When they came up, he had a beautiful, large pair of adult Spotted Turtles in his hands. I never saw them in the water, but I was appreciative that he had. He remarked that they were not breeding, but mentioned feeling guilty that he might have disrupted courtship that may have led to mating. Either way, for selfish reasons, I was happy. I return to this spot quite often. In the spring, on cold, sunny days, it is quite easy to approach basking Spotted Turtles, usually males, who haul out of the water on banks that get the most sun exposure. At those times, you can walk right up to the turtles and pick them up, as they are too sluggish at that time to retreat. In fact, I have never taken a net or trap to this location. The species and this habitat are so perfect for each other, that I choose to leave both elements as unmolested as possible. This past August, in the heat of the summer, my German friends Markus and Susi Auer and Mario Herz visited this location with me, on a day that hit 95 degrees (35 °C). As one might imagine, such weather was not conducive to locating this small, cold-weather species. We walked around much before finally seeing an adult C. guttata basking near the bank, in a place without direct sunlight. We tried to catch the small turtle for a closer look, and when we could not, we removed our clothes and decided to swim after it. The only tangible items we had to show for it were several bee stings, a snake bite, water bug bite, and wet underwear, but at least we saw a Spotted Turtle! As previously mentioned, some of my most rewarding chelonian experiences have been directly related to C. guttata. I am entirely grateful for my experiences with this species both in and ex situ. That said, I am proud to no longer keep them in captivity. I would much rather have state law in place in an attempt to safeguard the species in the wild. My hope is that laws are enforced and consequently provide the protection they set out to provide. In the future, individuals like myself with the ability to observe C. guttata in the wild and those able to keep them in captivity can live vicariously through each other, since there are not many places in the world where one can still do both and remain on the right side of the law. Author Anthony Pierlioni, the TurtleRoom Plainville, Connecticut, USA Anthony@theturtleroom.com 20 RADIATA 26 (2), 2017
In Search of Chelonians in Connecticut and New York State Michael Richter Keeping and Breeding Spotted Turtles I obtained my first Spotted Turtles (Clemmys guttata) in August of 2009. It was a most gorgeous pair. The two specimens were already adult and did not exhibit any further growth. The male tipped the scale at 145 and the female at 155 g. The two turtles were kept separated in the beginning. Their aquaterraria each measured 100 × 50 × 40 cm (l×w×h) and offered water some 20 cm deep. The female´s tank was furthermore outfitted with a terrestrial section of 20 × 50 cm that was filled with sand as to provide an opportunity for oviposition. The one for the male, on the other hand, sported a piece of cork that was wedged between the rear and front glass panes for basking. Both aquaterraria also featured a few pieces of roots and some rocks to create structure. Some aquatic plants such as hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) and pondweed (Elodea) completed the setup and were readily made use of for sheltering. Warmth and light was provided by means of a metal vapour lamp, Lucky Reptile Bright Sun UV Desert 70 W, mounted above the terrestrial portions. The turtles very often used the basking spots created thus. I observed them basking for prolonged periods in particular in spring after they had emerged from hibernation. It was in April of 2011 when I received an additional female. It was a captive-bred specimen hatched in 2007. It had a carapace length of ca. 9 cm and weighed close to 130 g. This turtle likewise was granted a tank of its own that was sized and outfitted like those described before. In spring, and again in autumn, the male was alternatingly placed with the females under supervision. He did not show real interest in the females initially, though, and there were no oviposition events in either 2010 or 2011. Keeping in a greenhouse During the course of summer 2012, I decided to move all Spotted Turtles to my greenhouse. It is a solid structure that can be heated easily when needed. My motivation Fig. 1. Adult captive-bred female of the Spotted Turtle basking in the outdoor enclosure. RADIATA 26 (2), 2017 21
