Hiding in plain sight?
I was out on a regular ride to explore along the lower American River and Sacramento bike trails yesterday afternoon. There is always a lot to see and do on a ride like this and often a surprise or two as well. My first surprise was losing the bike trail in an area I've ridden many times. I should have known it would be an unusual ride then. After being unable to find an invisible detour near Sutterville Road while the Army Corps continues to work on the Sacramento River levee I headed back through Old Town, Discovery Park, and up the Parkway.
As I passed Urrutia pond and was thinking about the new Bald Eagle nest nearby I came to an abrupt stop. A very large and nearly flat turtle was in the middle of the paved trail. It's not uncommon to find a turtle out like this probably searching for an upland area to lay eggs or maybe returning afterwards. This was something different. The turtle was much larger than our native Pond turtles or introduced Sliders. Its smooth shiny shell had a row of bumps around the edge and the face ended with long and pointed snout. Another rider stopped and livestreamed the turtle back his family.
I recognized the turtle as a nonnative softshell and probably the Texas Spiny Softshell which is native to the SW and Mexico but was introduced into irrigation canals in southern California years ago. It seems to be spreading northward but it's not clear if the species is becoming established or being moved around. The vegetation was thick on both sides of the trail bordered by Steelhead Creek on the north and Urrutia pond on the south. We decided it wasn't a good idea to leave it there and moved it a short distance til open water access was available. The turtle seemed no worse for wear and hitched a free ride. It was last seen diving into Steelhead Creek. At this point we don't know much about how this species interacts with native wildlife in the area. The observation has been added to iNaturalist where it can be shared with other biologists and researchers.
As I passed Urrutia pond and was thinking about the new Bald Eagle nest nearby I came to an abrupt stop. A very large and nearly flat turtle was in the middle of the paved trail. It's not uncommon to find a turtle out like this probably searching for an upland area to lay eggs or maybe returning afterwards. This was something different. The turtle was much larger than our native Pond turtles or introduced Sliders. Its smooth shiny shell had a row of bumps around the edge and the face ended with long and pointed snout. Another rider stopped and livestreamed the turtle back his family.
I recognized the turtle as a nonnative softshell and probably the Texas Spiny Softshell which is native to the SW and Mexico but was introduced into irrigation canals in southern California years ago. It seems to be spreading northward but it's not clear if the species is becoming established or being moved around. The vegetation was thick on both sides of the trail bordered by Steelhead Creek on the north and Urrutia pond on the south. We decided it wasn't a good idea to leave it there and moved it a short distance til open water access was available. The turtle seemed no worse for wear and hitched a free ride. It was last seen diving into Steelhead Creek. At this point we don't know much about how this species interacts with native wildlife in the area. The observation has been added to iNaturalist where it can be shared with other biologists and researchers.
Spiny softshell turtle up close
Temporary turtle transport...
Turtle seemed to enjoy the ride...
Midtown turtle art
Turtle Sightings Update: More recently I came across a Red eared Slider along the bike trail further upstream. It's not uncommon to encounter turtles in upland habitat this time of year as they are likely in the process of laying eggs. This turtle caught my eye due to what looked like growths on its shell. After a closer look I determined these were actually Smooth Turtle Leaches. Apparently, freshwater turtles often have one or more leeches somewhere on their shell. I counted 5 and they were alive and moving slightly. It seems these leeches can survive as long as there is some moisture so the turtle probably hadn't been out of the water for long. Check out the link below for more information.
Red eared slider with hitchhiker leeches
Closer look at very much alive leeches
iNaturalist observation link
Identifying California Turtles
Spiny softshell turtle
Turtle Wisdom for Earth Day
Smooth Turtle Leeches
A maze of a barrier with no info about the supposedly available detour...
Lots of signs but no information?
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