Title:
Saving the Bog Turtle, One of the Rarest Kinds in
North America
Description: This is
a VOA Special English General News Report.
See text below
Text:
This piece of equipment is used to find a bog
turtle. It is one of the rarest turtles in North
America. Craig Patterson works with the Maryland
Department of Natural Resources. He is looking for a
bog turtle that is carrying an antenna. Patterson
says the creature must be close because sounds from
the device are getting louder. More than thirty
turtles are living under dirt in these few hectares
of protected land.
The bog turtle is endangered in the United States.
Only several thousand survive. They live in small
areas of wetland like this one. Scott Smith has
worked with bog turtles for seventeen years.
SCOTT SMITH: "This one has had a chronic problem
with an ear infection."
This male turtle was first found twelve years ago.
The turtle weighs one hundred thirty grams. The
radio equipment on his back weighs only seven grams.
It helps scientists study his health, behavior and
resting places.
Smith says bog turtles spend a lot of time digging
down in the dirt, opening up little spaces for other
animals to use.
Julie Slacum works for the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service.
JULI SLACUM: "Part of the issue is loss of the
habitat, but part of the issue was people going into
the wetlands, taking the turtles and selling them
illegally."
Scott Smith says other threats are a slow
reproductive process and animals that eat turtle
eggs. Land development and changes in waterways have
affected the environment of bog turtles.
Recently, environmental groups and local governments
joined together to protect the creatures. Bill
Branch is a biologist with Marylands Highway
Administration. He says state officials planned to
build a road in this area many years ago. But that
was before bog turtles were discovered here. After
the discovery, officials decided to move the road
project. The road is now being built on the other
side of the hill.
There are also efforts to rebuild the turtles
environment. Farm animals are now clearing invasive
plants from the area. Officials are avoiding
chemicals or machines that could threaten the
turtles. I'm Doug Johnson.
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Hi. I
personally reviewed this video and found it appropriate for
the news section of English Global Group. This
is a Voice of America video which covers an interesting
topic in Special English. I would appreciate some feedback from both
students and teachers about this video. You can comment in
the window below using any of a number of different services
including Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail.
