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Blanding's Turtle

cwf-fcf.org > English > Resources > ... > Amphibians & Reptiles > Turtles
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Scientific Name: Emydoidea blandingii

Description:
Highly domed, smooth, dark coloured upper shell with light coloured flecks. Bright yellow chin and neck.

Size: 12-27 cm

Photo Gallery:
Nesting Blanding's turtle
Blandings Turtle in a pond
blandings turtle 480
Blandings turtle with a transmitter
Blandings Turtle eating plants
grint blandings turtle
Blandings Turtle nesting on shoulder of road

Range: Southern Ontario, southern Québec, and part of Nova Scotia

Habitat: Blanding’s Turtles generally inhabit nutrient rich lakes, shallow streams, marshes and swamps with dense vegetation. In the summer you will find Blanding's turtles in boggy, plant-filled, stable water bodies such as shallow lakes, wetlands and slow-moving streams and rivers. This allows them to hide from predators but have a constant food source.

In winter these turtles prefer prefer streams with steep banks and deep, constantly flowing water. They also overwinter in small ponds that are spring-fed.

Diet: These turtles eat plants as well as animals including crustaceans and other invertebrates, fish, frogs, crayfish, carrion, berries and vegetable debris.

Behaviour:

This species is considered to be primarily aquatic, these turtles will spend a good amount of time on land looking for nesting sites. 

A female Blanding's turtle reaches maturity as late as 25 years old.  Every 2 to 3 years, she will lay 3 to 19 eggs on land.  The hatchlings will emerge in late September and October.

Status:
  • Threatened (Ontario and Quebec)
  • Endangered (Nova Scotia)   

Notes: Known for their extensive home range, these turtles can move as far as three km as they move between summer, nesting, and winter habitats. Blanding’s Turtles can take up to 25 years to reach maturity, but can live for more than 75 years in the wild.

References:


  • Parks Canada :: Blanding's Turtle

  • Nature Canada :: Blanding's Turtle





Help The Turtles.ca

Freshwater turtles as a whole are in decline throughout Canada. Of the eight freshwater turtles found in Canada, only one subspecies is stable. The remaining species are designated to be at varying degrees of...

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