Menasha - A wildlife expert in east-central Wisconsin says she's worried about the increasing number of dead turtles in the area.

Tracey Koenig is the executive director of the Heckrodt Wetland Reserve in Menasha. She says an empty turtle shell occasionally washes ashore, but lately there are more deaths involving larger turtles.

She says some turtles just crawl ashore and die.

Her staff reports the recent deaths of six snapping turtles and four or five painted turtles. Another two dozen large turtles were discovered dead at a nearby pond in the past month.

Koenig says she's troubled because snappers are hardy enough to live in sewage. She says it takes a lot to kill one.

The state Department of Natural Resources has ordered lab tests on four dead turtles.

Source: Associated Press.