OutdoorNebraska

7 N ebraska became a state in March of 1867 and, in that time, we have commissioned a state mammal, a state bird, a state flower, a state tree, and even a state soil. But, in the over 150 years that Nebraska has been part of the United States, we have yet to have a state reptile, until now. On October 28, 2022 Governor Pete Ricketts declared in a proclamation the Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata) as the first ever official state reptile! So, how do you go about getting a new state symbol in Nebraska? Well, the process took over five years to complete starting back in 2017 with a simple online voting system from the Nebraska public. With a total of 13,608 votes from Nebraska's constituents, the Ornate Box Turtle won in a landslide with 5,109 votes. Other choices of reptiles included the Common Snapping Turtle, Bullsnake, and several other species. It wasn't until this October that process was completed, and an official ceremony took place at Schramm Education Center in Gretna. The Ornate Box Turtle is a fairly familiar species. You may have seen one wandering along a two-lane road in the Sandhills or even in the middle of the city–on license plates! The Ornate Box Turtle is one of the three designs found on the Nebraska Wildlife Conservation Fund license plates. The other two options are a Bighorn Sheep and a Sandhill Crane. Revenue from these plates support conservation of Nebraska's at-risk, threatened, and endangered species (see page 8). So, why is the Ornate Box Turtle a good representation of reptile species in Nebraska? Well, this species of turtle is extremely unique in that it is the only native terrestrial turtle found in our state. The other eight species of turtles are either aquatic or semi-aquatic, meaning they spend most of their time in and around the water. Box turtles are found in abundance in Southwest Nebraska and the beautiful Sandhills ecoregion. They are an important species in Nebraska in that they play a role as both a The Ornate Box Turtle A New State Symbol Monica Macoubrie, Wildlife Education Specialist, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission On October 28, 2022 Governor Pete Ricketts proclaimed the Ornate Box Turtle as Nebraska's first ever state reptile at a proclamation ceremony at Schramm Education Center. JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND Continued on page 8 a step further. Neil had long given thought for how to bridge the gap between lepidopterists and amateur naturalists. Too often, all that amateur naturalists have available to them are books with hundreds of pages comparing butterflies from across large regions. Neil believed it was important to create something that narrowed the focus to butterflies found in the state. The site has several features: • Neil's blog, which highlights interesting Lepidoptera discoveries and stories about Nebraska Lepidoptera • A page that catalogs all 210 species documented in Nebraska, with small thumbnails to help viewers see the incredible diversity in the state • Comprehensive lists of all butterflies and moths found in the state • Information about featured sites in Nebraska where you can find butterflies • One page dedicated to each butterfly species, including county maps, larval host plants, and photos Neil's increased public outreach since he started creating guides and the website has led to a spike in information from Nebraska's community scientists. Neil gets regular submissions of sightings that are helping him fill the knowledge gaps about Nebraska butterflies. Thanks to the Wildlife Conservation Fund, the user- friendly site will continue to be updated, documenting things like the unusual spike this year of the rare (for Nebraska) California Tortoiseshell and the usually scarce stray Marine Blue. It will also begin diving a little more deeply into some of the more noticeable moth species in the state. People are always welcome to share sightings, run identifications by or request county lists from Neil at NebraskaButterflies@gmail.com, but most importantly Nebraskans now have information at their fingertips, perhaps inspiring the next generation of Nebraska lepidopterists.

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