Baseline Abundances and Population Demographics at Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) Monitoring Sites in Wisconsin

Andrew F. Badje^1,*, Donald J. Brown^2,3, Jena M. Staggs³, Lena V. Carlson⁴, and Carly N. Lapin⁴

¹Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation, La Crosse, WI 54601. ²US Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Amboy, WA 98601. ³School of Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506. ⁴Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation, Rhinelander, WI 54501. *Corresponding author.

Northeastern Naturalist, Volume 31, Special Issue 12 (2024): G28–G46

First published early online: 9 June 2024

Abstract
Wisconsin encompasses a substantial portion of the Upper Midwest distribution for the globally endangered Glyptemys insculpta (Wood Turtle). However, the paucity of prior research and population monitoring statewide has limited our understanding of their status and population trends in the state. To address this information gap, we conducted standardized Wood Turtle population surveys at 50 sites across 8 HUC-8 watersheds in Wisconsin from 2018 to 2023 to estimate adult abundance and population demographic parameters. We captured turtles at 29 of 50 sites, and detected 250 unique individuals, consisting of 107 adult females, 77 adult males, and 66 juveniles. Site-level estimated adult abundances varied from 0 to 23 (mean = 5 among all sites surveyed). Our results provide a foundation for assessing long-term population trends and responses to conservation and habitat management efforts for Wood Turtles in Wisconsin.

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