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Arkansas Box Turtle Survey
Why Survey for Box Turtles?
Historically, box turtles have been considered common in Arkansas; however, this assumption is based more on anecdotal reports than any detailed studies of box turtle populations. The time to develop conservation strategies for a species is before it becomes rare. One of the first steps for box turtles is to determine where they occur and how frequently they are observed. Only by gathering empirical data will we be able to understand the true status and trends of these endearing species.
It is initially hard to understand how an animal that most of us have seen could be quietly disappearing from landscapes across this country. However, most of the turtles we remember fondly from our childhood were adults and may now be part of a non-reproductive, geriatric generation. Since baby box turtles are rarely seen, we do not know if there is a new generation to replace the aging one. The Ornate Box Turtle is already identified as rare in Arkansas. Results from studies across the U.S. suggest that box turtles are becoming less common. In 2004, 60 scientists met to specifically examine the status of box turtles and reported that … "box turtle populations are declining and major gaps in our knowledge need to be filled in order to conserve these animals."
A few other southern states have already taken steps to assess the health of their box turtle populations. Florida and North Carolina have been monitoring box turtle populations for over seven years. The Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife's Texas Nature Tracker program launched a Texas Box Turtle Survey in 2005 as a statewide, multi-year citizen-science survey to assess box turtles there. Our Arkansas survey will incorporate many of their successful components and together provide a broader picture of box turtles across both states.
