Field Study

Shusei Naito 

Jane Bolster 

9/17/19 

Writing for Sciences 

Say No to Plastic: Save the Turtles! 

For my field study research, I am going to discuss and describe the red-eared slider turtles using my senses. The reason why I chose a turtle is because you rarely see it out in the public. A turtle is special type of reptile that has unique characteristics which plants and animals don’t have. There are many interesting facts about turtles that regular people who find them appealing to look at don’t acknowledge. This descriptive analysis of turtles will be targeted towards young adults, who will know an adequate amount of information on them. My audience of young adults will consist of people who are in grades 9-12 and in college. The purpose of this essay is to inform readers about my field study’s behavioral patterns in the pond and their characteristics which distinguish them from other turtles. I hope to inform the reader enough, so they can use my analysis to write their own descriptive analysis on another animals. 

 

Photo of the Turtle Pond in Central Park 

I was walking around Central Park on August 8th with a friend, so we look at the turtles in the little pond where people can rent and ride a canoe. We had been roaming Central Park, getting lost, until we had finally found the Turtle Pond. It was around 5pm when we had arrived, the sky was gray and seemingly looked like it was going to rain. The pond was crowded, tourists riding around canoes, people taking pictures of the turtles, having conversations near the fountain, a pianist playing “Lucid Dreams” on the piano, and a festival. We sat next to the pond and observed the turtle swimming across the pond. 

When I have first seen the turtles in Central Park, I began to wonder what type of species they were. Edgar (2017) researched “The pond is home to five different turtle species that live there year-round.” The turtle that I observed and writing about is called the red-eared slider. The reason how I distinguished the red-eared slider from other species was because of their distinctive red markings near their ear. According to Wikipedia (2019), “Trachemys scripta elegans” is the scientific name of the red-eared turtles. The reasoning behind their names is because of “their small red stripe around its ears and from its ability to slide quickly off rocks and logs into the water.” The red-eared turtles have many features that make them distinct from other living organisms. “They are considered the top hundred invasive species”, according to (IUCN). Since, it is unknown how the turtles got to Turtle Pond, they are considered invasive because it is unknown to what effect they will have in the environment surrounding them. The turtles usually in streams, ponds, and lakes in the states, but it is unknown to how the turtles got to the pond in Central Park. 

 

A close-up photo, taken by me, of the red-eared slider turtle swimming in the pond. 

(September 8, 2019) 

 

 

It’s a tortoise…NO It’s a Turtle 

I looked at the turtles and it gave me a gleaming stare with their black rectangular pupils, waiting for them to be fed. I have seen that next to me were children feeding the turtles a hotdog from a stand near the fountain. Although, turtles are herbivores, meaning that meat isn’t part of their diet. Every turtle bunched up, climbing each other to taste another bite. When the food had been consumed, the turtles scattered and began to swim quickly, at a person’s walking pace. When I inspect the red-eared slider, I see a one-inch red streak at the side of their face. “The average length of these turtles ranges from 15-20 centimeter.” The turtles head is at least five times smaller than their shell. They have an assortment of colors on them, ranging from red, yellow-orange, worn-out dark green, and washed brown. Some turtles have a pattern on their back which resembles the upper body of the human skeleton. In the middle of the shell, it looks like a stretched rectangle that goes along its back shell. On the sides of the shell, are little rectangles that curve with the shell. It reminded of a humans’ spinal ribcage, rough and bumpy. Their shell is elongated outwards, like a bowl where they take shelter in case of danger. At the ends of their shells, you see a pattern of smooth ended squares, like human teeth marks. From looking from afar or closely, you can see their scaly hands and feet like a lizard. The red-eared turtles have streaks of yellow going down their arms, legs, and tail which start from their stomach region. The turtle’s appearance varies based on their gender. You can distinguish a female turtle from a male based on appearances: tail, shape and body size, claw length, and colored markings. A male slider is smaller in size but has a bigger shell than a female. According to Lianne (2019), “Females claws or short and stubby, while males are long”, this is due to breeding. “Male turtle’s plastron will tend to get darker as they grow older.” The plastron is another distinct characterizes that are different based on sex. “The male turtle has a plastron that concaves up, while a female’s is flat.” A turtles’ plastron are bones which include collar bones, located between the clavicles, and portions of the ribs. Lastly, “female turtles tend to have a shorter tail than men.” These characteristics help determine what type of species of turtle and what gender they are. 

As you approach the them, they tend to get frightened when you don’t have any food give them. Although when you get a chance to feel them it is quite satisfying. Their shells are solid and durable. The patterns on the red eared sliders gives it a bumpy, hill-like texture on its shell. Their scale-like skin feels rough and rigid, but when the turtles get wet, their skin feels like fish scales. They are slimy, probably because of all the mold and plant life in the water surrounding the area. The water was had a green tint to it as some sunlight reflected from it. The turtles felt small compared to other species of turtles.  

The red-eared slider turtles are found mostly in Central Park and is an essential part of the park’s ecology. They not only effect the organisms living in the pond and around them, the turtles emit a different atmosphere of joy that other parks don’t have. There are many other animals and plants which contribute to the park’s atmosphere, but I believe that the red-eared turtle is a reptile/ living organism that people can gather around and have a conversation with whether it’s about them directly or their environment they live in. 

 

 

 

 

 

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