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Biologists fear wider impact of a virus killing turtles in Montgomery County

Biologists say an alarming number of turtles rescued from the path of the Intercounty Connector’s construction have died of a virus they fear could devastate Maryland’s ecosystem.

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Scott Farnsworth, a Towson University researcher, took this photo while examining the mouth of a sick turtle. A healthy turtle mouth is bright pink. The yellowish plaque in the mouth of this turtle is one sign of a potential ranavirus infection. This turtle later died and tested positive for the virus.

Scott Farnsworth / Towson University

Scott Farnsworth marks the hibernation location of one of the animals at the study site in Montgomery County. While studying box turtles, researchers from Towson University found cases of ranavirus, a disease that is wiping out tadpoles and baby salamanders and killing off box turtles in areas of the county.

Scott Farnsworth marks the hibernation location of one of the animals at the study site in Montgomery County. While studying box turtles, researchers from Towson University found cases of ranavirus, a disease that is wiping out tadpoles and baby salamanders and killing off box turtles in areas of the county.

Scott Farnsworth / Towson University

A transmitter attached to a box turtle’s shell by researchers at Towson University is temporarily held in place with duct tape. A team of Towson students attached radio transmitters to 123 of the more than 900 turtles rescued from the Intercounty Connector construction area, allowing them to track the animals’ every move.

A transmitter attached to a box turtle’s shell by researchers at Towson University is temporarily held in place with duct tape. A team of Towson students attached radio transmitters to 123 of the more than 900 turtles rescued from the Intercounty Connector construction area, allowing them to track the animals’ every move.

Scott Farnsworth / Towson University

A male box turtle with a transmitter attached to its shell. The long-term effects of ranavirus on local turtles, frogs and salamanders are not yet known and will depend on how long the virus lingers, how far it spreads and how quickly surviving animals build up immunity, biologists said. But several wildlife experts said the disease’s short-term effects are probably affecting the food chain in the ICC study area between Muncaster Mill Road and Emory Lane, just west of Georgia Avenue in northern Silver Spring.

A male box turtle with a transmitter attached to its shell. The long-term effects of ranavirus on local turtles, frogs and salamanders are not yet known and will depend on how long the virus lingers, how far it spreads and how quickly surviving animals build up immunity, biologists said. But several wildlife experts said the disease’s short-term effects are probably affecting the food chain in the ICC study area between Muncaster Mill Road and Emory Lane, just west of Georgia Avenue in northern Silver Spring.

Scott Farnsworth / Towson University

Two Woodfrog tadpoles that had ranavirus. The blotches of red on the tadpole on the right are hemorrhages caused by the disease, which is believed to have killed nearly every tadpole and young salamander in the study area in Montgomery County’s North Branch Stream Valley Park since spring 2010.

Two Woodfrog tadpoles that had ranavirus. The blotches of red on the tadpole on the right are hemorrhages caused by the disease, which is believed to have killed nearly every tadpole and young salamander in the study area in Montgomery County’s North Branch Stream Valley Park since spring 2010.

Teal Richards-Dimitrie / Towson University

Nicole Wright, one of the field technicians that worked on the project, sits down next to a turtle before taking several measurements of the animal to assess general health and body condition. In all, 31 adult turtles were found dead near the ICC construction site between 2008 and 2011. Three had been hit by cars or construction equipment. The rest apparently died from illness.

Nicole Wright, one of the field technicians that worked on the project, sits down next to a turtle before taking several measurements of the animal to assess general health and body condition. In all, 31 adult turtles were found dead near the ICC construction site between 2008 and 2011. Three had been hit by cars or construction equipment. The rest apparently died from illness.

Scott Farnsworth / Towson University

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