Dr. Pitt and Sean Hartzell publish natural history note
Sean Hartzell, a senior BA biology, natural history major and geology minor, worked with Dr. Amber Pitt to write a natural history note entitled “Glyptemys insculpta (Wood turtle). Nesting Habitat and Behavior” that was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Herpetological Review. The note describes an observation of a wood turtle that was nesting in a sand deposit created through the flood-induced accumulation of sand around recently logged trees. This information is important because wood turtles are declining, in part because of nesting habitat loss. This observation provides evidence that it may be possible to create nesting habitat through management activities.
