To celebrate, here are a few of the ways that beavers, and the wetlands they create, help turtles:
- Spotted turtles in Ontario prefer newly flooded areas and congregate in beaver ponds in the springtime where courting pairs are observed. (Yagi & Litzgus 2012)
- Red-bellied turtles, especially juveniles, use beaver-created ponds. (Swarth 1999)
- Abandoned beaver ponds (which are more shallow and may dry up seasonally) in Pennsylvania provide habitat for spotted, painted, and snapping turtles. (Gray 2004)
- Blanding’s turtles use the shallow wetland habitat created by beavers. (Markle and Chow-Fraser 2014)
- Beaver wetlands in South Carolina increased overall reptile abundance and diversity. (Metts, Lanham, & Russell 2001)
- Beaver lodges and the submerged branches and other woody debris associated with them provide shelter and egg-laying sites for common musk turtles. (Belleau 2008)
Do you know about any research we can add to this list? Please reach out!