Shell-ebrate World Turtle Day with New Virginia Zoo Residents

Happy World Turtle Day! This special occasion, celebrated each year since 2000, is focused on protecting turtles and tortoises, as well as their disappearing habitats around the world. What better way to commemorate this day than announcing the arrival of 14 new rescue turtles to the Virginia Zoo! Have you ever wondered what it takes to introduce new residents to the Zoo? Read on to learn more about the slow-moving (😉), yet fascinating process!

Male box turtle in his new home in Turtle Oasis.

Over two years ago, 12 Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) and 2 common musk turtles (Sternotherus odoratus) were confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade. Unfortunately, biologists and law enforcement were unable to identify where these turtles originally came from, so they were deemed non-releasable to the wild. Luckily, the Wildlife Center of Virginia stepped up to care for them as their legal proceedings occurred; some turtles awaited placement for nearly 27 months! 

On April 1 (we’re not kidding), Wildlife Center of Virginia volunteers Jean and Steve Grubb drove three hours from Waynesboro, Virginia to Norfolk to finally deliver the 14 turtles to their new permanent home – the Virginia Zoo. 

Turtles upon arrival to the Virginia Zoo.
Wildlife Center of Virginia Volunteers Jean and Steve Grubb.

Any new resident at the Zoo, regardless of species, must undergo an intake veterinary exam upon arrival. The first step in this process was to visually examine the turtles. Head Veterinarian Dr. Mary and Animal Registrar Karsyn ensured that any healed injuries or other identifying characteristics noted in each turtle’s paperwork matched the number taped on their shell. 

Then, each individual turtle was photographed from the carapace, plastron, and head-on angles. A turtle’s carapace refers to the top of their shell, and their plastron is the bottom of their shell. These photos are essential for starting the turtles’ profiles in the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), as they would allow any future staff or other facilities to identify the individuals. ZIMS profiles digitally store the medical history of animals in zoos and allows for easy transfer of records between facilities.

Each turtle was then weighed. It is important to have a starting weight for each animal, as drastic changes in weight can indicate a health issue. Lastly, the turtles were introduced to their quarantine habitats. For the box turtles, these quarantine habitats included a layer of soil to burrow in and covered hiding spots at the surface. Musk turtles, on the other hand, had a shallow pool of water, artificial plants, and a dry resting spot to accommodate their semi-aquatic lifestyle.

Dr. Mary visually examining a box turtle during their intake exam.
Male box turtles in quarantine.

Typically, small-to-medium sized animals new to the Virginia Zoo are held in quarantine in our Animal Wellness Campus. This allows our veterinary staff to keep a close eye on new residents and treat any conditions that, if left untreated, could spread to our resident animals. For our new box and musk turtles, this quarantine period lasted 36 days as our team patiently waited to collect enough healthy fecal samples. 

On May 7, 13 of the 14 new turtle residents underwent their exit exams! One box turtle was determined to be too young to be introduced to an outdoor habitat, so they will be inside until they grow to a large enough size to safely be outdoors. Similar to their intake exams, during the exit exams Dr. Mary visually evaluated and weighed each animal. Then, Veterinary Technician Leah took their X-rays to establish a baseline before introduction to their outdoor habitat.

Leah and Dr. Mary viewing a common musk turtle’s X-ray.
Box turtle being weighed for their exit exam.
Leah and Assistant Curator Dennis distinguishing between musk turtles.
Dr. Mary marking a box turtle’s shell with their Virginia Zoo identification number.

Once each turtle was medically cleared, they were brought to their new homes in Turtle Oasis and in the World of Reptiles! Two female box turtles and one male box turtle are now housed with Blanding’s turtles in the back left habitat, while the remaining male box turtles share a space with wood turtles right across the way. The musk turtles are housed together and can be seen through their viewing window in the aquatics area of  World of Reptiles. All turtle introductions went turtle-y swimmingly, and we are so excited to have them as members of the Virginia Zoo family!

Female box turtle in her new home in Turtle Oasis.

About Eastern Box Turtles 

The Eastern box turtle, Terrapene carolina carolina, is one of six subspecies of the common box turtle. Common box turtles are found throughout North America, with Eastern box turtles specifically found along the east coast of the United States from Maine to Florida and west to the Great Lakes region and Texas. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers this species to be vulnerable to extinction due to habitat loss and fragmentation as woodland and wetland habitats are converted for human use. 

About Musk Turtles 

The common musk turtle, Sternotherus odoratus, is native to the eastern United States and Canada. They can be found as far north as Ontario and Québec, Canada, and as far south and west as Texas. This species is considered to be of Least Concern to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Musk turtles are known for their foul odor produced by their Rathke’s glands when threatened. This scent has also earned them the nickname “stinkpot”. 

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