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Turtle display now on exhibit at Lime Creek Nature Center

004MASON CITY – The Lime Creek Nature Center is hosting a fascinating exhibit on turtles this summer.

“Turtles – Secrets of the Shell” is an exhibit that originated at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium (NMRMA) in Dubuque. The display is now traveling to various Iowa nature centers to help educate Iowan’s about turtles both locally and world-wide.

The exhibit is loaded with fascinating information about turtles. Kids will enjoy the crawl-in turtle shell, sit-on plastic turtle, and standing “Ninja” turtle. They will also enjoy the cultural turtle stories available with the display. The nature center also has three live turtles on display – a snapping turtle, painted turtle, and red-eared slider.

008This exhibit was partially funded by a Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) grant. While at the aquarium, the display included the largest live collection of turtles from around the world displayed in the U.S. This amazing display of live turtles can still be seen at the NMRMA.

Turtles are unique reptiles that originated around 220 million years ago. Many other creatures have some sort of shell, but no other animal looks quite like a turtle!

There are about 260 species of turtles on Earth. Of these, about 40% are considered to be in danger of extinction.

There are 13 species of turtles in Iowa, and they face many threats to their survival. Predators such as raccoons, skunks, and opossums eat turtle eggs.

There is no limit on harvesting snapping, soft shell, or painted turtles in our state. Commercial turtle harvesting in Iowa increased from 29 thousand pounds in 1987 to 235 thousand pounds in 2007.

Climate change is also affecting Iowa’s turtles. For example, the endangered wood turtle lays eggs in sunny, sandy river banks in late May and early June. Record flooding in Iowa often occurs after nesting time, and the eggs are destroyed.

Turtles are long-lived and are not fast reproducers. Iowa’s Blanding’s turtle will not reach reproductive maturity until about 12 years of age. In addition, only 20% of turtle eggs ever make it to hatching.

The “Secrets of the Shell” display will be at Lime Creek through August 2015.

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