Blanding's Turtle

Scientific: Emydoidea blandingii Hol.
French: Tortue mouchetée
Nipissing Ojibway: m’kinok (turtle)
Status: Threatened 

Description: Carapace length 15 – 28cm (6 – 11 in)
The carapace (back shell) is highly domed, dark brown or black with yellow flecking throughout, which fades with age. The plastron (belly shell) is cream with black blotches at the periphery. A hinge between the 4^th and 5^th scutes on the plastron helps its closure. The plastron is concave in males and flat in females. The neck is long, underside bright yellow, and beak is upturned into a smile. In hatchlings, the yellow flecking on the carapace is very pronounced.

Nest: Habitat for the Blanding’s turtle includes beaches, sand dunes, gravel roads, open fields and meadows. Loose sand and organic substrates are preferred, but individuals will also use cobblestone lakeshores and slag rail beds to nest.

Habitat: Blanding’s turtle inhabits a wide variety of wetlands. The species is most often found in highly vegetated shallow water and in bogs and fens. Significant distances are traveled overland between wetlands during the active season, sometimes in excess of several kilometers. Degraded habitats such as residential and agricultural ponds are sometimes used.

Life History: Maturity is reached between 17 and 25 years of age, with the lifespan likely exceeding 100 years. Females nest every 1 to 3 years and lay 9 – 19 eggs.

Similar Species: No other species has a highly-domed carapace and bright yellow neck and chin. The Midland painted turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata) is smaller (15cm), lacks coloration on the carapace and has bright red, orange or yellow lines on the head and legs.

Threats: Loss or fragmentation of suitable wetland habitat is the largest threat to the survival of this species. Road mortality.

What you can do: Preventing road kill is the easiest way to help turtles at risk. If you see a turtle attempting to cross a road, move it just off the road in the direction it was going. Report sighting the to local OMNR.

Compiled by: Christopher B. Edge, Laurentian University