Survey Tracks Box Turtles in Middle Tennessee

Micheala Bass-Zaidan recently completed survey work on a 3-year research project focused on eastern box turtles in Middle Tennessee’s Central Basin. Her study examined both micro- and macro-habitat use to better understand how these turtles move and behave across a changing landscape. 

During the project, Micheala captured eastern box turtles and fitted them with radio transmitters. Using radio telemetry, she tracked each turtle weekly to document movement patterns and habitat preferences.
Once a month, she also swabbed the turtles to test for the presence of disease, with a particular interest in how pathogens may influence turtle behavior and space use.

According to Micheala, habitat fragmentation in the Central Basin is a major concern. Increased urbanization has significantly altered the landscape, potentially forcing turtles into closer proximity than they would
experience in less developed areas. This crowding may have implications for both behavior and disease transmission.

Micheala hopes to compare her findings with data from an existing study conducted on a more rural population of eastern box turtles to better understand the effects of urbanization. The research was in partnership with TWRA, Tennessee State University, and Nashville Zoo.

---TWRA---