Animal Ambassadors

The Potomac Valley Audubon Society provides a home for our Animal Ambassadors at the Case Nature Center. They are here to raise awareness about the importance of respecting wildlife and allowing animals to live freely in their ecosystems. Unfortunately, some circumstances can prevent animals’ return to their natural habitats. The Animal Ambassadors at the Case Nature Center are here because they cannot be returned to the wild.

Our Animal Ambassadors play a vital role in our educational programs, inspiring people to appreciate and protect animals and their environment. Together, we can foster a deeper connection with nature and work towards a healthier environment for all.

Did you know?

It is illegal in West Virginia to take and/or possess native reptiles or amphibians, unless you have a permit. It is also illegal to release any reptiles or amphibians into the wild that have been held in captivity for more than 30 days, including releasing pets. You can read the law here, which includes more details and other rules about reptiles and amphibians.

Meet our Animal Ambassadors!

Stop by the Case Nature Center during our open hours
Come to Turtle Time for a special program during our Animal Ambassador feedings
Book a “Rockin’ Reptiles” school program

Esther

HER STORY:

Esther came to us from the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources in the fall of 2021. She was being sold illegally online for the pet trade. In West Virginia, we have a law that you can’t sell, take from the wild or possess most snakes, turtles and amphibians unless you have a permit. Our organization has a special permit to use Esther as an animal ambassador.

Corn Snake
Pantherophis guttatus

Esther is here to dispel fears and misconceptions of snakes. Many people kill snakes in the wild, thinking that snakes are ‘bad’ and will cause harm. Snakes play a vital role in our ecosystem as they are predators to some animals and serve as food source for other animals. The presence of snakes in the environment keeps the ecosystem in balance.

Corn snakes are often killed because they are misidentified as venomous copperheads (click here to learn how to tell the difference). The truth is, when they feel threatened, all snakes would prefer to hide and get away from you with biting being the last resort.

Louie

HIS STORY:

We believe Louie was born around 2009.

His previous owners purchased him at a petstore and in 2018 when they could no longer care for him, he came to live as an animal ambassador at PVAS. Unfortunately, Louie was not fed a balanced diet and so he had deformities in his carapace and was very overweight. Since being in PVAS’s care, Louie has been eating much more nutritiously and has lost weight and although his shell deformity is irreversible, it is much healthier looking.

Eastern River Cooter
Pseudemys concinna concinna

Louie teaches us all an important lesson that turtles are not the best pets. They have specific needs and are a lot of work to care for. People don’t often realize that being a turtle owner is a lifelong commitment. Many people wrongly release unwanted turtle pets into the wild which is cruel to the turtle itself and also causes ecological harm. Luckily, Louie was able to find a new home when his previous owners could no longer care for him.

Poppie

HER STORY:

Poppie was born in 2008 and a little girl won her as a prize at the Jefferson County Fair. After living with the girl for two years, she was a class pet at South Middle School for 4 years.

She then moved to the lobby of Progressive Printing in Martinsburg. Poppie was placed in PVAS’s care in December of 2017.

Red-eared Slider
Trachemys scripta elegans

Poppie teaches us all an important lesson that turtles are not the best pets. They have specific needs and are a lot of work to care for. People don’t often realize that being a turtle owner is a lifelong commitment. Many people wrongly release unwanted turtle pets into the wild which is cruel to the turtle itself but also causes ecological harm. Luckily, Poppie was able to find new homes when her previous owners could no longer care for her.

Scute

HIS STORY:

Scute was hit by a car in Virginia and his scutes on his carapace (upper skull) were damaged. He was found by a mailman who took him to a certified wildlife rehabilitation center where he was treated for his injuries. Because the mailman couldn’t recall where he found the turtle, Scute could not be returned to the wild. Releasing a turtle anywhere other than their found location could introduce disease to local turtle populations. Additionally, turtles have a strong homing instinct, and if he was placed in a location far from his original home, his chances of survival were slim as he would likely cross dangerous roads trying to get home. Thus, the rehabilitation center asked PVAS if we could care for Scute as an animal ambassador.

Woodland Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina carolina

One of their biggest threats to box turtles like Scute are human poachers who sell them in the pet trade. It is important to keep box turtles (and all turtles!) in the wild.

If you see a box turtle crossing the road, you can move them to the side of the road in the direction they were facing. Never relocate a box turtle They know where they are going and where they need to be better than we do.

Willow

HER STORY:

In 2020, Willow and about 1,000 others from their range on the east coast were taken from their wild homes by poachers. Luckily, the poachers were caught all the way up in New York State and the turtles were confiscated by the DNR. Because all of these wild turtles were put together from many different areas, they cannot be released to the wild again as they could be introducing new diseases to other wild turtles. After doing DNA testing, the DNR found that many of the confiscated turtles were from our area here in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. Wanting to return these turtles to serve as teaching animals in the areas where they were found, the DNR gave PVAS Willow to care for and use to teach people about how amazing Wood Turtles are and how important they are to protect. She arrived at PVAS in 2020.

Wood Turtle
Glyptemys insculpta

Wood turtles face the threats of habitat loss and fragmentation, agricultural machinery, invasive plants in nesting habitat, road-crossing mortality, degraded water quality, disease, and illegal collection for the black market pet trade.

Facing substantial declines over the last century, wood turtles have been petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act. The wood turtle is designated as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in all 16 states in which they occur, and is considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

We can protect Wood Turtles by doing our part to protect Wood turtle habitat, help them cross roads safely, and by spreading awareness that Wood turtles and all other turtles should never be taken from their homes in the wild.

Animal Ambassadors

Animal Ambassadors

Esther

HER STORY:

Corn Snake Pantherophis guttatus

Louie

HIS STORY:

Eastern River Cooter Pseudemys concinna concinna

Poppie

HER STORY:

Red-eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans

Scute

HIS STORY:

Woodland Box Turtle Terrapene carolina carolina

Willow

HER STORY:

Wood Turtle Glyptemys insculpta

Corn Snake
Pantherophis guttatus

Eastern River Cooter
Pseudemys concinna concinna

Red-eared Slider
Trachemys scripta elegans

Woodland Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina carolina

Wood Turtle
Glyptemys insculpta