Assessing Health and Disease Threats to Ornate Box Turtles

SUMMARY: Researchers are studying health status and disease threats to wild ornate box turtles to help inform conservation efforts.

THE PROBLEM: Ornate box turtles living in prairie habitats are a threatened species. These turtles are native to several midwestern states, including Illinois. Threats to this species include habitat loss, collection for the pet trade and car collisions. Unfortunately, little is known about these animals' overall health status and disease threats, hindering conservation and recovery efforts.

THE PROJECT: Researchers plan to study the causes of illness in ornate box turtles from seven study sites in Illinois. The team will gather physical exam data, including blood and disease testing, on about 200 turtles. Researchers will fit a subset of 50 turtles with transmitters for tracking, conduct monthly physical examinations, and perform pathogen surveillance to learn more about changes in health status over time.

POTENTIAL IMPACT: Disease mortality events are on the rise for turtles and related species. The team hopes this information will inform better conservation and health management programs for ornate box turtles in Illinois and other states and improve veterinary medicine for other at-risk reptile species.