She’s Not Dead!

A couple of days ago we were out walking along the South Shore of Devil’s Lake where the road and sidewalk are right up against the lake. This area is a popular fishing spot because the water gets deep quickly and you can park along the road and have easy access to the water. As we walked we noticed a big softshell turtle lying out on a rock along the water’s edge. 

A fisherman noticed us, notice the turtle. “It’s dead.” He said, “It’s dead.” We looked over to him, but without a good response, we kept walking. “It’s been there a while and it hasn’t moved.” the man said as we continued on. 

Once we got closer to the turtle and observed it more closely, it looked, well, fine. It looked healthy and colorful in the bright sun. Of course, we tend to see and interact with wildlife a lot. We know that turtles are cold-blooded and will spend hours on a hot day basking in the warm sun. It’s just what they do! 

As we continued to watch the turtle, the man walked behind us moving down the shoreline to find a better fishing spot. “It’s dead,” he said as he walked past. “It hasn’t moved.” he continued. Soon he was settling in about 20 yards away. Every-so-often, he’d look back at us, cast his line and look back again… Watching us, watching the turtle not moving on the sundried rock. 

It’s no surprise that the turtle was hanging out where it was. Softshell turtles are mostly carnivorous. They’ll eat just about any critter they can handle including small fishes, aquatic insects, and plants. If it’s a good fishing spot, it’s a good turtle spot too!

Well, it was about this time, that the turtle realized that it was getting much more attention than it wanted. We all enjoy sunbathing, but it’s not so fun when you feel people watching you!  The turtle moved to the edge of the rock, then slid down into the cool, green water. 

“It’s not dead” I said quietly, more to myself than anyone. 

Turtle numbers have been declining all over the world in the last few decades. Habitat loss and degradation is leaving them with no healthy places to live. This is just as true in Wisconsin as anywhere. Having a healthy population of softshell turtles in Devil’s Lake is really a gift and a responsibility as well.

The concern when someone says, “It’s dead”, is that you don’t really know what they’ll do next. Will they leave alone? Some do, thankfully. Some people, however, need to test their theory. They’ll throw a rock at it or try to poke the animal with a stick, even try to kick it or step on it! We’ve all seen it happen and with declining populations, we can’t afford to risk it. So it’s important whenever we get the chance to educate. Remind folks that reptiles such as turtles and snakes like to bask in the sunlight. They’ll just sit there, not moving.

“They’re not dead!!”, as I spin on the old Monty Python skit. They’re just pining. Pining for a world where they can safely bask in the summer sun without risk of disappearing forever.

Learn More

Wisconsin Turtle Conservation Program

Wisconsin’s Amphibian and Reptile Regulations