We quantified mortality risk of agricultural practices on Glyptemys insculpta (Wood Turtle) via radio-tracking of 23 (6M:17F) turtles in an agri-forested landscape in 2017 and 2018. During the hay-harvesting season, ∼35% of turtle locations were within hayfields, and 86% locations of radio-tracked turtles in fields were <30 m from hayfield edges. Movement trials on 14 individuals arbitrarily placed in hayfields established that Wood Turtles can orientate towards a stream and potential safety. However, during hay harvest, Wood Turtles are unlikely to escape to safety, as none of the turtles at our study site were able to avoid the tractor as it circled the field in 5–8 minute intervals. We recommend that managers consider temporarily retaining a minimum 30 m-wide buffer strip of uncut hay along the edge of the field closest to streams during the summer harvesting season.
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23 July 2024
Wood Turtle Use of Agricultural Hayfields and Their Behavior During Hay Harvest: Implications for Wood Turtle Management in Agricultural Landscapes
Shaylyn D. Wallace,
Graham, J. Forbes,
Joseph J. Nocera
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