Population Characteristics of Freshwater Turtles at Lake Hydaway

Freshwater turtles are an important part of the ecological systems in central Virginia. They are found throughout the state wherever there is a suitable body of water, often in large numbers. At Lake Hydaway, there are several turtle species for which their population characteristics were unknown after the lake’s area was expanded. These included the typically prolific Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta) and Red-bellied Cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris). For five weeks, a section of the lake was surveyed for turtles using hoop nets baited with sardines and vegetables, and the turtles were marked and measured and released back into the lake. Population characteristics such as carapace length and sex ratio for the Eastern Painted Turtle and Red-bellied Cooter were calculated, as well as population estimates for the whole lake for those two species. The Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) and Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina) were found in insufficient numbers to calculate population characteristics. The values found were comparable to values from the literature demonstrating a recovery for the Eastern Painted Turtle and the Red-bellied Cooter after Lake Hydaway’s upheaval.