File:Sue Cameron bog turtle in hand (18553881268).jpg

In an ongoing effort to track bog turtle populations, biologists recently spent several days visiting southern Appalachian bogs in western North Carolina, searching for the rare turtles. Measurements were taken and recorded for each turtle found, then each individual was marked twice – one a physical marking of the turtle’s shell, and then each turtle receives a unique identifying chip, much like you might have placed in your cat or dog. Part of the benefit of chipping the turtles is to identify individual turtles, that are known from specific sites, them should they ever be found in the possession of poachers.