Smithsonian team uses X-rays and thread to locate vulnerable box turtle nests
Researchers from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute tracked Eastern box turtles in Virginia, locating 16 nests and finding that predators raided 13 of them.
In a field study across five Virginia sites, Smithsonian scientists monitored 56 tagged Eastern box turtles using radio and GPS technology. When a female was identified as gravid via a portable X-ray taken in a plastic cup, a bobbin of 216 yards of thread was attached to her shell to mark her path. Researchers later followed the thread to uncover 16 nests over eight weeks, marking each site and installing trail cameras.
Predation was high, with skunks and raccoons raiding 13 nests, sometimes within hours of egg deposition. The findings highlight the intense pressure on turtle eggs from predators, adding to known threats such as habitat loss and road mortality.
Why it matters
Understanding nest predation helps guide conservation actions to boost Eastern box turtle survival.
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