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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Signs near Neiliao Wetlands warn drivers of endangered turtles crossing
A sign warning drivers to slow down because turtles living in the Neiliao Wetlands may cross the road is pictured in Keelung’s Neiliao Borough yesterday. Photo: Lu Hsien-hsiu, Taipei Times
By Lu Hsien-hsiu and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Keelung’s Neiliao Borough （內寮） Office and Anle District （安樂） Office have put up signs telling drivers to slow down in a bid to protect endemic golden thread turtles living in the Neiliao Wetlands （內寮濕地）.
The signs — with the image of a turtle and the warning: “Turtles abound. Please drive slowly” — were placed near the entrance to the wetlands by volunteers after a motorist drove over one of the turtles last month.
April to June is usually the spawning period for golden thread turtles, Neiliao Borough Warden Chen Yu-hui （陳玉慧） said.
During this period female turtles usually wander around the wetlands looking for suitable places to lay eggs, Chen said.
Volunteers have been conducting tests of soil temperatures and moisture levels since last month to learn more about the ideal living environment for the turtles, she said.
The first of the turtles was spotted in the wetlands around 2009, Keelung Wild Birds Society president Shen Chin-feng （沈錦豐） said.
About five or six turtles golden thread turtles have been found living in the area, she said.
While the turtles are found in relatively higher numbers in Taiwan than elsewhere, they are listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Shen said.
The local population of golden thread turtles has gradually declined because of the increasing population of red-eared sliders — a species that has invaded many areas after being released by pet owners.
The number of golden thread turtles might drop further if measures are not put in place, Shen said.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
