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House Game and Fisheries panel reports bill to name eastern box turtle Pennsylvania's state reptile
Summary
The House Game and Fisheries Committee reported House Bill 401 to designate the eastern box turtle as Pennsylvania's official state reptile. The sponsor cited a first-grade class and conservation concerns; the bill advanced from committee by unanimous consent.
The House Game and Fisheries Committee reported House Bill 401, which would designate the eastern box turtle as the official state reptile of Pennsylvania.
Representative Stambaugh, the bill sponsor, introduced the measure and brought Alcatraz — "Al," a resident eastern box turtle — to the committee. "I certainly appreciate this opportunity to speak on behalf of House Bill 401, which would designate the eastern box turtle as the official Pennsylvania state reptile," Stambaugh said, describing the bill's origin in a first-grade class at Juniata Elementary School in Mifflin Township.
Stambaugh told the committee the class discussion led to the turtle proposal and described the species' habitat and conservation status: "It lives pretty much everywhere, rural habitats, suburban habitats, even urban habitats. It likes shrubby grasslands, marshy meadows. You see it in open woodlots a lot and along the edges of the forest." Stambaugh and committee staff members said the species is facing population declines across much of its range, attributing most of the loss to habitat destruction.
Dr. Cheryl Dunne Pollard, who spoke during the item, said she would push to move the bill to the House floor and asked staff about population drivers. Kaylee, a committee staff member, told the committee that the eastern box turtle "is found in 65 of our 67 counties," and said habitat loss is the primary factor cited by biologists. Another member noted the species is classified as "at risk" rather than threatened or endangered on state lists; the bog turtle remains the species listed as endangered in Pennsylvania.
After brief discussion and no recorded negative votes, the chair said, "Hearing none, House Bill 401 is reported from the House Game and Fisheries Committee," indicating the bill advanced out of committee by unanimous consent; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.
Votes at committee: House Bill 401 — reported from committee by unanimous consent; no roll-call vote recorded in the committee transcript.
