With 30 Montgomery County fourth-graders watching on the House floor, the House this week passed House Bill 621 naming the Eastern Box Turtle the official state reptile.

 

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Lawrence Curry (D-Montgomery) at the urging of Glenside Elementary School students and is designed to protect the turtle from becoming extinct in the Commonwealth.

 

"The number of Eastern Box Turtles is declining in Pennsylvania due to its loss of habitat, pollution, inability to find mates, being killed by vehicles, being taken for the retail pet trade and by predators," Rep. Curry said. "Adopting the Eastern Box Turtle as our official state reptile would save not only these turtles, but other reptiles, as well."

 

Rep. Curry sponsored the bill after the Glenside Elementary fourth-graders contacted him and asked if the Eastern Box Turtle could be designated as the official state reptile as part of a class project. Their teacher, Linda Jephson, said the students became interested in saving the Eastern Box Turtle after learning of its plight in an environmental class.

 

"We want to raise awareness that the turtle's habitat is being destroyed by development, that they are being poisoned by the chemicals people put on their lawns. Their population is dwindling and people need to realize we could be losing a species," Jephson said.

 

Box turtles are some of the longest lived of their species and commonly live up to 30 years, although there have been documented cases of them living as many as 50 years. While the Eastern Box Turtle can live in a wide variety of habitats, from wooded swamps to dry, grassy fields, it is found most abundantly in moist forested areas with ample underbrush. The turtles are omnivores, eating both plants and other animals.

 

"The whole project has been such a valuable learning experience for the students," Rep. Curry said. "In addition to learning about how laws are made, the students learned more about our state's symbols, about reptiles, and they even wrote a book titled, 'To the Rescue,' which has been submitted for a national competition."

 

The students intend to continue following the process of the bill as it now moves to the Senate.