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Why did the turtle cross the road? Good question.
But the one that headed north across University
Avenue in Urbana during afternoon rush hour recently was fortunate that Sandy
Mason noticed it when she did, then parked her car and ran back to grab it
before it could be squished by a less observant driver.
Mason, an educator with U of I Extension who is
known to many for her expertise in horticulture, is also an accomplished
naturalist. Her first impulse was to carry the turtle across the road in the
direction it was headed, which is standard practice for moving turtles found on
roads.
But she hesitated since that would’ve just put the
turtle in a parking lot—not really a good spot either. Beyond that, she was
puzzled about its identity.
She knew from a glance it wasn’t a snapping
turtle. And she was fairly sure it wasn’t any of the other turtles commonly
seen in east central Illinois. Its top shell, or carapace, seemed too dome-like
for a painted turtle or a slider. But it was a dull, dark green in color, and
had none of the markings that characterize box turtles. Hmmmm.
Because work commitments would prevent her from
following up over the next couple of days, Mason contemplated releasing the
turtle at nearby Crystal Lake Park without resolving the question of its
identity. But what if she really had found something unusual? So she called me
to ask if I could help figure out what it was, and convey it to our mutual
friend Chris Phillips if it turned about to be a rarity. Phillips is a
herpetologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey, a division of the U of
I Prairie Research Institute, and curator of the amphibian and reptiles
collections for the state and the university.
[Photos by author: common musk turtle, with its rescuer, above; spiny softshell turtle at Second Street Basin, below.]
A consultation with the “Field Guide to Amphibians
and Reptiles of Illinois” showed that the beneficiary of Mason’s efforts was a
common musk turtle, a species that is, as the name implies, widely distributed.
(Its range includes all of the eastern U.S.) But despite that, the “Field
Guide” showed, no specimen of common musk turtle had ever been collected in
Champaign County--so this one was noteworthy. It spent the night in a cardboard
box in my garage, and Phillips picked it up the next morning. He photographed
it, drew blood for future DNA analysis, and then let it go at Crystal Lake
Park.
Chances are slim that anyone will ever again
notice the common musk turtle that Sandy Mason rescued. It’s less than five
inches long, and it will seldom leave the water.
But Crystal Lake Park and other water bodies do
offer good opportunities to observe more common turtles as they bask at this
time of year. On sunny days look for painted turtles and red-eared sliders on
logs and rocks at the water’s edge.
My favorite spot for turtle watching locally is
the Second Street Detention Basin in Champaign, where sliders of all sizes hang
out. In addition, this summer they have been joined by a very large spiny
softshell turtle. The softshell turtle is flatter and more circular than the
sliders, and its limbs have a meatier look. In addition, it possesses an
unmistakable snout, like a miniature version of an anteater’s.
Think about it. If you get to know these common turtles, you’ll be ready to recognize a rare one, whether it’s near the water or crossing the road.
