ALEXUS ROBINSON2/7 /14

PERIOD 3 – ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCEENDANGERED/THREATENED SPECIES

The Bog Turtle

Common Name

Bog turtle

Latin Name

Glyptemys muhlenbergii

Life History• Sexually mature at the

ages of 8-11 (both ages)

• Mate in the spring (after hibernation) (can last 5-20 minutes)

• Females can mate once, twice, or not at all.

• Males try to mate as many times as possible

• Nesting time is between April and July

• Most eggs are laid in June

• Females lay 1-6 eggs

• Many offspring do not survive sexually maturity

• After eggs are laid they go through an incubation period (last 42-80 days)

Life History (Continued)•If laid in colder weather, they incubate through the winter and hatch in the spring

•Babies are about 2.5 cm when hatched in late August/September

•Females are born smaller and grow slower

•In the first 4 years, they double in size (are not fully grown until they are about 5 or 6 years of age)

•Have a maximum lifespan of 50 years (average lifespan is 20-30 years)

Physical Characteristics

Size: 3-3.5 in

Weight: 3.9 oz

Color: Bright yellow or orange spot on both sides of their head and neck. Dark body color. With orange-red splotches on the inside legs of some turtles. The upper shell is usually black. The lower shell can have cream and black blotches

Reproduction

Age: 8-11

Gestation: About 3 months

Litter Size: 1-4 eggs

Food and Water Preference

Food: Seeds, berries, shoots, invertebrates, insects/insects larvae, crayfish, mollusks, worms, snails, slugs, amphibians, nestling rodents, and nestling birds

Water: Freshwater

Habitat

Wetlands, meadows, bogs, and marshes

Distribution

Territory and Range

Ecology and Behavior•Active during the day, sleeps at night

•Wakes up, sunbathes until warm – searches for food

•Stays in dense underbrush, underwater, or buried in mud during winter months

•Stays out of the sun during the hottest hour

•Late September – March/April = hibernation

•Male = territorial

Predators, Parasites, and Disease

Predators: Snapping turtles, snakes, muskrats, striped skunks, foxes, dogs, and raccoons

Parasites: Parasitic flies 

Disease: Bacterial infections, and bacterial aggregates

Cause of Listing

Habitat loss from the draining and filling of wetlands for farming and development, including housing, roads, and golf courses. Illegal collection of bog turtles for the pet trade

Status (Delaware and Federal)

Delaware: Threatened

Federal: Threatened

Conservation Management Needs•Field surveys

•Radio transmitters

•Breeding in captivity

Impacts to Ecosystem if Eliminated

Food source for many animals

Site References•http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com

•http://www.dec.ny.gov

•http://www.d20pfsrd.com

•http://frogs-ny.org

•http://www.conservewildlifenj.org

•http://www.iucnredlist.org

•http://www.fws.gov

Conclusion

This animal is very secretive, mostly being under mud or underbrush out of sight. They are an important food source and are threatened to being endangered.

Questions?

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