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SENTINEL always for the community VOl 19, nO 11
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november 2014
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SPOTLIGHT
Danae Daviess’ Gold Award enhances local park experience
On Friday November 7, Danville resident Danae Daviess installed her Girl Scout Gold Award project at the Osage Station Park in Danville with Danville Mayor Robert Storer and others in attendance. The project is a panel that depicts 10 of the most visible native birds that can be observed in the park including a photo of each and pertinent information that
ECRWSS
PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID DANVILLE, CA PERMIT NO. 70
See BIRDS page 14
On November 28 the public is encouraged to come to the Lighting of the Old Oak Tree on Diablo Rd. in Danville. Starting at 5:15pm, San Ramon valley High School Chorus will entertain the crowd with holiday songs, the Snow Angel will appear with Father Christmas, and the tree will be lit, kicking off an evening of enjoyment as you stroll in old downtown while merchants offer refreshments. It’s a great family tradition and community activity for all ages.
The Western Pond Turtle: The Famed Mud Turtle of the San Francisco Market weather. The soft muddy
Postmaster: Dated Material
By James Hale
Sentinel Newspapers, Inc. 390 Diablo Road, Ste. 145 Danville, CA 94526 925-820-6047
The Western Pond Turtle (Emys marmorata), is the state of California’s only native freshwater turtle. It is a California Species of Special Concern (CSSC), because many local populations have been either extirpated or are threatened, due to loss of habitat, competition with nonnative turtles, and other environmental factors. It was historically extremely abundant in the southern San Joaquin Valley. The Western Pond Turtle is a fully aquatic species that centers its activities around quiet water habitats such as lakes, ponds, wide rivers, sloughs, irrigation ditches, and marshes with mud or rocky bottoms, with plenty of aquatic vegetation. The upland terrestrial habitats surrounding these sites, used for nesting, range from grasslands, agriculture, open
forest, to savannah. Mats of vegetation, logs, and open bank areas are essential basking sites for this species. Western Pond Turtles are poikilothermic, in that their body temperature is governed by the ambient environmental temperature. They typically bask in the sun, for about a half hour to increase their core temperature, then they forage for about an hour before returning to their basking sites. Western Pond Turtles are omnivores, with aquatic vegetation, crayfish, insects, fish, invertebrates, carrion, and amphibian eggs and larvae comprising most of their diet. In many areas of the state, the Western Pond Turtle hibernates to avoid inclement
bottom substrate of aquatic habitats is most often used for hibernation, where the turtles lower their metabolism and receive their oxygen from its highly vascularized pharyngeal and cloacal tissue linings. If aquatic hibernation sites are not available, the burrows of the California Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi) and other upland retreats are used for hibernacula. The name “mud turtle” comes from the rather drab dark brown, olive, or almost blackish carapace or upper shell which is up to 9 inches long. The lower plastron is pale cream to yellowish white, with large dark brown markings. Males typically have unmarked, light throats, low domed carapaces,
and concave plastrons, and may weigh several pounds in large individuals. After mating, females dig burrows in upland habitat to lay their clutch of from 3 to 14 eggs. Clutches are laid between April and August. Hatchlings and juveniles are vulnerable to predation and experience a high mortality rate. The Western Pond Turtle was once extremely abundant throughout its range. It is estimated that in the southern
This month’s Special Sections:
Senior Living pages 7-9
Holiday Gift Giving
pages 10-11
See TURTLES page 5