Blanding's Turtle

Blanding’s turtle

Emys blandingii

While working at Blandford nature center, I had the opportunity to help out a turtle biologist, who works at the local zoo. He came out every week to set up 5 or so hoop net traps, and we would check them every hour. Toward the beginning of the summer it was still too cold for most of the species, we mostly caught painted turtles, then we would process them and put them back in the water. What he was mostly interested in was the eastern box turtles, which we would not catch with the hoop nets, though the land stewards would keep an eye out when we were walking the whole park, and would send him pictures of their plastron, so that he could at least keep track of how many there were in the park, because each species has unique markings on the underside of their shell.

Processing the turtles usually consists of weighing the turtle, then taking measurements of the plastron and carapace (lower and upper shell), both horizontally and vertically. Then we would mark the species we found by filing into their carapace, in specific areas to be able to later identify the species. This process is called shell notching.

https://boxturtle.uncg.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/marking_2.jpg

One day, while turtle trapping we came across a rare find, a Blanding’s turtle, he guessed was at least over 80 years old. Though the shell was covered in moss and leeches, he was in very good shape. We were sure it was a male before checking the tail, because he had his breeding claws, as my hands can attest to very well. Also due to the males having a slightly concaves plastron.  The Biologist was so excited to process it, the shell notching ended up being ABC, while most of the painted turtles were somewhere around KBE. After weighing and taking several measurements of the carapace and plastron (upper and lower shell) we set the breeding male back into the water and watched it disappear into the murky water.

The only other time I have seen one of these turtles was in captivity in Blandford Nature Center, her name was …, and had to be in captivity because she had a cracked carapace.

The Blanding’s turtle is now restricted to the north eastern part of America, and low in numbers. The largest portion of this species nests around the Mississippi river, and around the great lakes. It is difficult for this species to recover quickly after catastrophic events-like their recent loss or degradation in wetland habitats-due to low reproductive rate (females are sexually mature at age 8, while males need to be 12) and high juvenile mortality rate (predated by raccoons, skunks, owls, and foxes.

The Blanding’s turtle was classified as an endangered species in Minnesota in 1984.

Typically, only found toward Erie in PA.

Though in Michigan, they are more commonly in the lower peninsula, and treated because of wetland degradation and road mortality.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7166.html

They are a large to medium sized turtle that are easily identified by their yellow throat and yellow flex through their shell. Males will have a slightly concaved plastron, but both sexes will have a domed carapace. While the plastron will be mainly yellow with black or dark blotches, distinctive to each individual. Similarly, to the box turtle, it has a hinged plastron, though it does not close completely around the head. They are a very timid species, though is a very gently species and rarely attempts to bite.

Unlike other species of turtles, the Blanding’s turtle is used to staying under water for up to an hour if threatened, and can survive in cold water. Still a cold-blooded species, they can hibernate at the bottom of a cold lake, and stay in the mud layer underwater for the whole winter.

Why should you care about the Blanding’s turtle? Just because there are other species like this one out there does not mean that this one should just be forgotten. Having had a close and personal encounter with this breed I wish others to be able to see them, and enjoy them as much as I do. They are unique in personality and in genetics, and should not go extinct. Look out for turtle crossing signs and do your best to help this species hold on.

  

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/rsg/profile.html?action=elementDetail&selectedElement=ARAAD04010

http://www.paherps.com/herps/turtles/blandings_turtle/

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10370_12145_12201-60647--,00.html

https://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/indiana/journeywithnature/blandings-turtles.xml?redirect=https-301