Turtle restoration helps endangered species thrive

Conservationist Virginia Grimley holds one of the western pond turtles that will be released in the Columbia River Gorge this month. – Courtesy of the Oregon Zoo

“The Oregon Zoo is releasing nearly 60 endangered western pond turtles in the Columbia River Gorge this month, part of an on-going effort to restore a Northwest native that has teetered on the edge of extinction.

The turtles won’t be easy prey for bulldogs and bass. They’ve spent much of the year at the zoo under lights, which simulates perpetual summer and causes them to pack three years of growth into 11 months.

“The lights trick the turtles into thinking it’s still summer so they don’t go into hibernation,” said David Shepherdson, the zoo’s conservation program scientist. “The turtles grow and grow.”

Once the turtles reach a suitable size of about 70 grams, slightly more than two ounces, they are returned to their homes and monitored for safety.

“Since the turtles are larger, predators such as non-native bullfrogs and large-mouth bass are no longer threats,” Shepherdson said. “

Read more at OregonLive.com >>