Ecologists from the Lake County Forest Preserves are testing an experimental treatment to protect Blanding’s turtles from a dangerous, potentially fatal fungal disease.

In 2022, during routine health checks for the Forest Preserves’ Blanding’s Turtle Recovery Program, staff discovered that some captive Blanding’s turtles in the program had contracted Emydomyces testavorans. This fungus is closely linked to shell disease in turtles. Also known as shell rot, shell disease usually stems from a fungal, bacterial or parasitic infection. It can cause the shell to grow soft, fade in color and even fall apart.

Turtles that tested positive were not released into the wild to prevent the fungus from spreading. Instead, Gary Glowacki, manager of conservation ecology at the Forest Preserves, teamed up with top researchers to test treatments aimed at eliminating the fungus.

“We found a treatment that appears to be effective,” Glowacki said. “The treatment is showing very promising results, and we’re optimistic this approach could make a real difference for the turtles.” Of the 60 captive turtles, more than 50 are testing negative for the fungus.

To boost the number of Blanding's turtles in Lake County, the Forest Preserves started the recovery program in 2010. Glowacki and his team have tracked turtles in the wild to determine the extent of their range and monitor their locations. The program has also head-started thousands of baby turtles.

Head-starting is a process where trained staff collect eggs from wild female turtles, incubate them in captivity and raise hatchlings to a size where they are less likely to be eaten. Once a hatchling weighs 40 grams or more—equal to 1.41 ounces, slightly more than a pencil or a slice of bread—staff release it into a suitable wetland so it can grow, thrive and reproduce.

To develop the treatment trials, Glowacki and his team are working with Dr. Matt Allender, director of the University of Illinois Wildlife Epidemiology Lab and director of conservation medicine & science at Brookfield Zoo.

The team crushes terbinafine tablets, an antifungal medication available at local pharmacies, and dissolves them in water. The turtles soak in this bath for 30 minutes, three times a week. 

Over the past 15 years, Glowacki and his team have been able to stabilize and grow the largest Blanding’s turtle population in the state. The species is endangered in Illinois and throughout most of its range, but Lake County’s population is now one of the largest in the Midwest.

The Preservation Foundation, the charitable partner of the Lake County Forest Preserves, has provided grants for the turtle program to initiate health assessments and a pathogen surveillance protocol. Private funding is now used to continue the health monitoring. The Foundation also provided emergency cleaning supplies at our turtle facility and Emydomyces testing and treatment as part of the recovery program.

"Detecting this fungus early and quickly initiating biosecurity protocols and a treatment plan were instrumental in enabling us to work proactively to prevent the spread of this contagious disease," Glowacki said.

The next step is to gain funding to build an enclosed area outdoors to softly release the animals. Staff would continue testing and monitoring them in a more natural setting to ensure the turtles remain negative. If the turtles remain free of the fungus, they could be released into the wild. 

“We’re making progress with this treatment and are eager to restart efforts to grow our population of this globally imperiled species,” Glowacki said. “But first, we need to exercise caution to be certain this fungus is eliminated and does not spread to our wild populations.”

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