26 reactions | A good dog knows a good companion—never leave home without Turtlebox. | Turtlebox | Facebook

Turtle dogs! Saint Louis Zoo scientists have partnered with some very special assistants: seven turtle-detecting spaniels. The Boykin spaniels helped us track and retrieve box turtles – their strong sense of smell allows them to find hidden turtles our researchers might miss. (And they’re faster than us, too!) Why are we searching for turtles? The answer is twofold: it’s part of our continuing biodiversity studies at the soon-to-be Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park, and it’s also for The Box Turtle