A Population Study of the Freshwater Turtles of the Recently Expanded Lake Hydaway in Campbell County, Virginia

Freshwater turtles are an important part of the ecological systems in central Virginia. At the recently expanded Lake Hydaway, there are several turtle species for which their population characteristics were unknown, especially the prolific Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta) and Red-bellied Cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris). For five weeks, the lake was surveyed for turtles using hoop nets, and the turtles were marked and measured. 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 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 estimates. The estimates found were comparable to estimates from the literature demonstrating a recovery for the turtles after Lake Hydaway’s expansion.