Mississippi Map Turtle

How do you find a pascagoula sawback?

We were sitting in a small aluminum boat steadily bailing ankle-deep water from our craft. With the help of distant lightning from another approaching storm we occasionally caught a glimpse of each other's faces. We were on a long, lonely, uninhabited section of the Leaf River in Mississippi. Our colleagues in the other boat were disappearing from sight as they rounded a bend upstream, so I started the outboard motor and told Ian I would answer him later. The mood of the Leaf River varies depending on time, place, and circumstance. Seen from an aerial view on Google Earth, the river looks like a braided rope in alternating black and white. The white sections are magnificent sandbars where turtles lay their eggs. The dark sections are wooded cut banks where swirling water carves away at cliffs formed by a rock known as soapstone, in which talc is a primary ingredient. The water depth in the river ranges from barely enough to cover your toes to deeper than an eight-foot dip net held at arm's length.

The Leaf River eventually merges with the Chickasawhay River to form the Pascagoula River, which in turn flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Collectively they have the distinction of being the only place in the world where the Pascagoula map turtle lives; it dwells alongside another species known as the yellow-blotched map turtle. Turtle biologists refer to both species as "sawbacks" because of the jagged line of teethlike spines that run down the center of the top shell. Both species are adapted to live in river systems with fast currents that are not interrupted by dams. As I had explained to Ian earlier, one way to enjoy nature is to select a rare or unusual plant or animal species and set as a goal to see, hear, or otherwise experience it. You can identify a target species as one you want to catch and then release. A self-conducted scavenger hunt for a specified quarry in a natural setting can be a totally gratifying experience. Planning for this trip had begun weeks earlier when my son suggested we take his son to Mississippi to see if we could catch a Pascagoula sawback. The species had been declared "critically endangered" by some authorities but had not become officially protected, so we still had an opportunity to catch-and-release. Mike Dorcas of Davidson College and his son, Zach, joined us. We also invited Will Selman, a wildlife biologist with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, to join us.

Mississippi Map Turtle - News

How do you find a pascagoula sawback?

Collectively they have the distinction of being the only place in the world where the Pascagoula map turtle lives; it dwells alongside another species known as the yellow-blotched map turtle. Turtle biologists refer to both species as "sawbacks"

Asian carp: Indiana marsh tops hot spots for invasion threat

It's home to redwing blackbirds, eagles, foxes, coyotes, mink, weasels, deer, turtles and leopard frogs. She's not enchanted with the chain-link fence, but she is willing to sacrifice the marsh's beauty for a good cause. "I'm a lover of the Great Lakes

Aquatic Turtles Basking & Swimming ~ Eastern Painted, Hieroglyphic ...

@stujarvis13 ~ My fish are on the menu and I am sure they will be eaten at some point. However, they are just cheap goldfish that I paid less than $0.20 for, so it’s not a problem or concern. For now they do add color and activity, plus round out my tank environment. Goldfish are also the easiest fish to care for and very hearty, so they are simple addition and the turtles benefit from eating some of their food flakes too.

@redo7706 ~ I purchased my Eastern Painted Hybrid Turtle from a local breeder. I also have gone to a reptile show and purchased my Hieroglyphic River Cooter and Mississippi Map turtles there from breeders who live in my area. You can view my video “Buying More Turtles at the Reptile Show” which was made while I was at the show buying them.

@turtlesbest — Most of my videos have audio. However, sometimes I think it’s just as fun to quietly watch my turtles swim, bask and play without any noise. I like to turm off all my room lights and just watch them, so I have recorded a few videos doing just that, quietly sitting and watching them be themselves. I think it’s cool.

Thanks for watching!