In Illinois, the Ornate Box Turtle has suffered from drastic habitat loss as prairies were converted to row crop agriculture. The resultant conversion has left many populations situated in a highly fragmented landscape. Such high fragmentation and insularization have left populations isolated and susceptible to small population dynamics. There are only a few places in Illinois where Ornate Box Turtle populations are considered robust. The demography project aims to gather data from two of these larger populations which will then be used to inform conservation efforts. The collaborative project was initiated at Nachusa Grasslands by Dr. Matthew Allender in 2016 and has now broadened to include demographics as well as wellness. Dr. Christopher A. Phillips, Dr. Sarah Baker, and Andrew Kuhns are also assisting with the fieldwork and design of the project. All the work could not have been completed with our Mr. Rucker and his amazing Boykin Spaniel team. With funds provided from a State Wildlife Initiative Grant, Devin Edmonds will be exploring the demography for his Master’s Thesis.
