Wildlife

Turtle Die-off

Staff at the Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge in western Minnesota are investigating a turtle die-off discovered along the Minnesota River in the refuge over the weekend.

Staff members are currently collecting the turtles to determine the extent of the loss. They are estimating more than 200 dead turtles. Collection efforts are ongoing and that is not a final count

The dead turtles include both painted and snapping turtles of various sizes. It’s not known if other species were affected. The turtles were discovered in the river water and on the riverbank along an approximate half-mile stretch of the river. At this point, the cause of the die-off is not known.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3nX13S4