Easte
box
tu tle
(Image
C edit:
Ca va)
Fi di g
a
tu tle
est
i
the
wild
is
fa
mo e
difficult
tha
it
sou ds.
Smithso ia
esea che s
studyi g
Easte
box
tu tles
i
Vi gi ia
have
bee
usi g
a
combi atio
of
tech ology
a d
su p isi gly
simple
tools
to
locate
ests
a d
u de sta d
what
happe s
to
the
eggs
afte
they
a e
laid.
Thei
u usual
field
equipme t
i cludes
a
po table
X- ay
machi e,
plastic
cups
a d
spools
of
th ead
st etchi g
216
ya ds.
These
methods
helped
the
esea che s
locate
16
ests
du i g
eight
weeks
of
fieldwo k.
But
what
they
fou d
was
co ce i g:
p edato s
had
aided
13
of
those
16
ests,
sometimes
withi
just
hou s
afte
the
eggs
we e
laid.
Acco di g
to
the
Smithso ia ’s
Natio al
Zoo
a d
Co se vatio
Biology
I stitute,
which
epo ted
the
esea ch,
the
fi di gs
a e
givi g
scie tists
a
close
look
at
o e
of
the
th eats
faci g
Easte
box
tu tles.
Why
tu tle
ests
a e
ha d
to
fi d
Easte
box
tu tles
ca
spe d
co side able
time
sea chi g
fo
the
ight
place
to
lay
thei
eggs.
A
female
usually
digs
a
small
hole
i
the
soil,
lays
two
to
five
eggs
a d
the
cove s
the
est
befo e
movi g
away.
Fo
esea che s,
the
challe ge
is
k owi g
whe
a
female
is
eady
to
est
a d
whe e
she
will
choose
to
do
it.
The
tu tles
ca
move
th ough
la ge
a eas,
maki g
it
difficult
to
follow
thei
moveme ts
closely
e ough
to
fi d
a
est
befo e
p edato s
do.
Acco di g
to
the
Smithso ia ’s
Natio al
Zoo
a d
Co se vatio
Biology
I stitute,
the
Smithso ia
team
has
bee
studyi g
56
tagged
Easte
box
tu tles
ac oss
five
sites.
The
tu tles
a e
fitted
with
adio
t a smitte s
a d
GPS
tags,
allowi g
esea che s
to
t ack
thei
moveme ts
a d
ide tify
females
that
may
be
p epa i g
to
est.