ECOVIEWS
TURTLE POSTER
"The two friends had not seen each other in a long time. As tiny babies they had lived near each other. But not anymore.
"`Jaws' is an old snapping turtle. She lives in a swamp near the river. She loves her home in the swamp. The swamp is the perfect habitat for her and her relatives. Its deep, slow, dark water provides all kinds of insects and snails and fish to eat. On most days Jaws was very happy. But not today. She missed her friend, and wanted to send a message to him."
So begins a wonderful story called "Turtle Talk" written by David Scott and Gay Heagler of the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. The story, designed for elementary school children, is told on a fold-out poster with pictures of turtles, swamps, and rivers. A teacher's guide accompanying the poster comments on the ecological characteristics of turtles mentioned in the story.
Following are more excerpts from the story: "As Jaws sat in the mud on the swamp bottom, another turtle swam by--it was `Nosy,' the soft-shelled turtle.
"`Why the sad face?' Nosy asked Jaws.
"`I want to tell a friend something, but he lives so far away,' Jaws replied.
"`I'm headed up Big Creek,' Nosy said. `I need to find a home that has more sand. I can take a message.' So Jaws whispered her message to Nosy. Then Nosy swam away, toward the creek that gave the swamp water. And Jaws was happy once again."
Later in the story, ". . . a young boy turtle named `Longnails,' the slider turtle, crawled out on the creek bank.
"`Where you headed?' Nosy called out.
"`Up the bank and away from the creek,' Longnails said. `I want to go find a new home with more turtles. Maybe a pond with lots of girl turtles.'
"He grinned.
"Nosy said, `I need a favor. Please carry a message from Jaws to her friend.'
"Longnails agreed and waved goodbye with his claws."
Meanwhile, the teacher's guide explains: "The young turtle named Longnails is in search of his favorite habitat. Slider turtles are one of several species often grouped together as `pond' turtles. These turtles are both abundant and noticeable, due to their habit of basking on banks, stumps, and fallen logs.
"The turtle Longnails introduces two basic concepts related to turtles. First, the sex of the turtle (a male) can be discerned by his long toenails; female sliders have short toenails. Sexual difference in nail length is a secondary sex character (like a man's beard) that occurs when reproductive maturity is reached.
"Of the turtle species mentioned in the story, only the slider turtles exhibit this particular sex difference in nail length. In box turtles, females and males differ in the shape of the bottom shell (the plastron); a female's plastron is flat, and a male's is `dented' inward. In snapping turtles it can be nearly impossible to tell the sexes apart without probing their rear-ends; needless to say it can be a bit dangerous, too."
The story ends with the following few lines: "Tiny was not far from the pond when she noticed movement at the edge of the trees. A rustling noise came from under the blackberry briars. A yellow head poked its way through the leaves. At last, it was Slo-Mo, the box turtle, out looking for berries and mushrooms to eat.
"`Hey Slo-Mo,' Tiny yelled. `I have a message--all the way from the swamp--from Jaws. She said to tell you, `Happy Birthday.'"
"Slo-Mo smiled. No one else had remembered.
"Slo-Mo had not seen his childhood friend for a long time. Their mothers had built their nests near each other years and years ago. Jaws and Slo-Mo met when they hatched from their eggs. Jaws began her journey to the swamp, and Slo-Mo started his trip to the woods.
"`So how old are you,' Tiny asked.
"`I'm 40 years old today,' Slo-Mo replied.
"He smiled again. It was a happy day, after all."
Creativity in ecological education can take many forms. School classes that take advantage of the "Turtle Talk" poster will enjoy the ultimate in any educational experience: a combination of knowledge and fun.
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