Species Declines

Turtles are amongst the most threatened group of vertebrates on the planet, according to the Turtle Conservation Coalition, which has calculated that half of all turtle and tortoise species are either endangered or critically endangered. Relative to other animals, turtles are exceptionally long lived, but have high hatchling mortality. This conservative reproductive strategy makes them extremely dependent on high annual adult survivorship for the continuation of populations.

Box turtles, which are the primary species used in turtle races – and hence the focus of this project – also conform to this reproductive strategy. Based on both research and anecdotal evidence, experts believe they are declining throughout their range. While some areas continue to show robust populations, in about half of long-term population studies, box turtles have shown massive declines.

For example, a population of about 100 box turtles slowly collapsed during a 37-year study by the University of Delaware (see above graph). By the time the study wrapped up in 2002, the site only had 14 box turtles left. Similar declines were observed in studies in Maryland, and in Missouri. In Ohio, box turtles once ranged nearly statewide; they have now disappeared from the northern half of the state. These declines have been attributed to habitat destruction, disease, road mortality and collection for pets. As something that causes thousands of wild box turtles to be removed from their habitats, turtle races compound the impacts of these other factors.