Wildlife officials cite need for tighter rules to protect turtles
Eastern box turtle population declines in the past decade are caused by several factors, including illegal collection. Photo by Rick Dove, submitted to the Maryland DNR Photo Contest.
In October 2024, state and local officials seized 43 eastern box turtles and three painted turtles from a private property in St. Mary’s County. Housed in abysmal and cramped conditions, most of these animals were highly stressed, in poor body condition, and incredibly sick.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and St. Mary’s County Animal Control staff worked quickly to remove the animals from the property and place them in the care of a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
The veterinary team from the Maryland Zoo conducted health assessments and provided supportive care. Despite the collective efforts of all the experts involved, 27 turtles died or had to be euthanized due to their deteriorating condition. The survivors can never return to the wild.
Maryland Zoo and Department of Natural Resources staff inspect turtles removed from a house. Photo by Maryland DNR.
“Our first consideration is always the well-being of the animals and then, with native turtles, to determine whether they might be safely released into the wild. Due to the conditions these turtles were put through, that unfortunately was not possible due to the risk of spreading disease,” said Dr. Ellen Bronson, Senior Director of Animal Health, Conservation, and Research at the Maryland Zoo. “Fortunately, we were able to place the remaining turtles at accredited facilities and some of them will also live out their lives in the box turtle habitat in the Maryland Wilderness portion of the Maryland Zoo.”
The individual in St. Mary’s County was charged with 48 counts of animal cruelty, 53 counts of possession without permits, and 3 counts of failure to obtain a permit, with total requested restitution around $4,100. But the ecological damage cannot be recovered.
“These are turtles that are no longer reproducing and contributing to the sustainability of the wild population,” says DNR’s state herpetologist, Beth Schlimm.
Turtles are some of the most globally imperiled vertebrate groups, due in large part to illegal collection and trade. Life history characteristics of turtles place them at high risk of population declines. They are slow to reach reproductive maturity–for example, it may take seven to eight years before a female box turtle can breed. They have incredibly low rates of egg and juvenile survival because several different predators eat turtle eggs and baby turtles. Many turtles can live 40 years or more in the wild and may reproduce every year. The loss of mature female turtles can quickly send populations into decline.
Natural Resources Police place confiscated turtles into bins. Maryland DNR photo.
DNR’s Wildlife and Heritage Service is working to address this issue in Maryland through proposed regulations changes that allow for collection, possession, breeding, and sale of native reptiles and amphibians. Current regulations allow for significant wild collection as well as breeding, sale, and trade of many species. These regulations fail to address significant present-day conservation concerns, namely: Collection pressure, disease transmission, and illegal trade.
The intent of the regulatory changes being considered by DNR is to provide clear and enforceable regulations to protect Maryland’s wild reptile and amphibian populations into the future. Details about the proposed changes will be posted on the DNR website and open for public comment soon.
Regulatory change is an important step to proactively protect this group using the power of law.
The St. Mary’s turtle poaching case also underscores the need for a network to help protect these animals.
In this case, the turtles’ care was made possible through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ American Turtle Saving Animals from Extinction (SAFE) Program. These turtles will live out the rest of their lives under human care.
Maryland DNR photo
“We should be proud of the partnerships that we were able to leverage to get the best outcome for this group of confiscated turtles,” says DNR’s state herpetologist, Beth Schlimm. “But I don’t want people to feel satisfied with how this situation turned out. Placing the surviving turtles in a zoo is good for the well-being of the individuals in this case, but it is not a conservation win for the species.”
Illegal collection and trade undermines the hard work that DNR and conservation partners put into supporting healthy wildlife populations, and the response to these cases diverts staff time, funding, and resources away from priority projects. These activities also harm the turtles that are poached and indirectly harm other wildlife in the state that need attention as well.
All Marylanders are reminded to keep wildlife in the wild. In a rapidly changing world where wildlife is facing massive threats from habitat loss, pollution, disease, and climate change, to name a few, it is imperative that humans leave animals where they are found. DNR also works to protect Maryland’s turtles by not sharing location information for any rare, sensitive, or easily poached species.
Homeowners and property managers can make a huge impact by creating great wildlife habitat- DNR’s Wild Acres program has more information.
And citizens are urged to report suspicious and illegal behavior toward wildlife to Maryland Wildlife Crime Stoppers at 443-433-4112.
