Turtle Distribution Database

The order Testudines, which encompasses tortoises and freshwater and marine turtles, is among the most threatened group of vertebrates in the world. However, turtles are frequently observed during everyday activities, such as while walking through a park, driving along a roadway, or kayaking in a river or pond. Local citizen-science projects focused on single species (such as box turtles) have provided valuable demographic information for turtle populations, but these projects are isolated both spatially and specifically (i.e., focused on one species). This project would use sighting information supplied by citizens to fill gaps in our knowledge of turtle distributions throughout Northern Florida. When a citizen observes a turtle, they would document the species (if possible), location (latitude/longitude collected via cell phone), date, and time, and they would photograph the animal. We would also ask each contributor to provide their initials (not full name) and a way to contact them if questions about the entry arise (e.g., phone number or email address). The sighting information will be mapped and used to develop species-distribution maps.

The latest form for Turtle Distribution Database expires 2026-08-31 and is listed under ICR 202304-1028-001.