Chapter 3 North Carolina Species
daily from May to August and mark sea turtle nests. They monitor these nests throughout incubation and inventory each nest after it has emerged to determine hatching success. The Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network collects data including species, carapace measurements, location, and probable cause of stranding from all reported sea turtle strandings. Other turtle survey efforts have taken place in various parts of the state. These included recent trapping efforts in the mountains, where NCWRC biologists have detected Stripe-necked Musk Turtles, Eastern Spiny Softshells, Cumberland Sliders, and River Cooters in aquatic habitats where they were not previously documented. Surveys of streams in the Uwharrie Mountains, found in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, have recently documented additional and relatively large numbers of Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell Turtles in several drainages. Data collected from a recently developed public reporting tool for softshell turtles will help guide future monitoring and management efforts for these species. Additionally, a citizen science initiative called the Terrapin Tally has been formed to increase our knowledge of Diamondback Terrapins. Designed to help estimate population numbers, the Terrapin Tally is a joint project with the North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve and the NCWRC. 3.8.2 Comparison of 2005 and 2015 Priority Species The 2025 Reptile Taxa Team evaluated 81 species for conservation concern to identify SGCN, knowledge gaps to identify research priorities, and management concerns to identify management priorities. Some species may be considered a priority in more than one of the evaluation categories. The following table provides a comparison of changes to the number of SGCN and priority species between the 2015 SWAP, the 2020 Addendum 1, and the 2025 SWAP. These changes do not necessarily indicate a change in the concern status for these species; they are more likely a result of an increase in our knowledge base for the species. A comparison with the 2005 SWAP is not included because a different method was used to evaluate and identify SGCN for that version of the Plan.
Reptile Priority Species by Evaluation Categories and Comparison between SWAPs
Knowledge Gaps
Management Needs
SWAP Date
SGCN
2025
46 42 42
62 46 46
26 24 24
2020 Addendum 1
2015
The following sections highlight specific conservation issues related to SGCN and their habitats. This is not an exhaustive list of species-specific conservation concerns but rather highlights
2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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