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CCP 02-19-2002
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CCP 02-19-2002
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<br />BLANDING'S TURTLE <br /> <br />"'! <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />Emydoidea blandingii (Holbrook) <br /> <br />~j/ <br />/ <br />/ <br />- ~ .~.-- ";{ <br />(>" .r ~ ~':">:~"f,.,;-.\"",.,~.....~*",- <br />----. :-~, ~,_.-t'-'~.___ <br />_ -,-- ..- ""--4':::\'~. <:::. <br />(>._ _e/ '<~:. ;.~ <br />... --/.~; ~/...., \....~----- <br />c- _ _, ' ,,- A <br />~~.~ . "'"'-< '....r'"_'''''~ <br />~~ ' ",- ">;.;, ,~ ~,," f!/^ <br />~~ ~"""-'~-......l"" <br />i-- -_-~o~ ---_ <br />~ - ~ ~'~ <br />--'~. I> .-..' ~." . "~ <br />. .<,,~~~, <br />I (.:i.... '-.; '-J <br />. 6: .~" ; <br />~ <br /> <br />,- <br />-... --'~ <br /> <br />-~~ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e1988. Stale of Minnesota. Ven. Min& Woni <br /> <br />OFFICIAL STAreS: Threatened <br /> <br />BASIS FOR STATUS: Although formerly more widespread. the Bland4 <br />ing's turtle is now restricted to a small number of stAtes and provinces in <br />the Upper Midwest. stretching from Nebraska eastward to Michigan. On. <br />tario. and Quebec. A smaller remnant population. spanning portions of a <br />few New England Slates, as well as a number of scauered populations <br />throughout the Nonheast. testify to the lurtle's more e~panded range in <br />earlier times. Minnesota lies on the nonhwest periphery of the species' <br />range. An extensive area of sand dunes and marshes along the Mississippi <br />River. south of the town ofKeUogg. is recognized as a majorconcemration <br />area for the turtle and may be one of the largest breeding populations in <br />its entire range. Elsewhere in the state, the Blanding's tunle has a more <br />spouy distribution. following the Mississippi and 5t. Croix rivers nonh~ <br />ward into easH:entral Minnesota and the Minnesota River westward into <br />the south-central portions of the state. Two recent records from Pipestone <br />COU~ltyalso confirm the species' presence in the Missouri Ri'.'er drainage <br />of extreme southwestern Minnes0t3. <br />As a marsh inhabitant the recent destruction ofwetla~d habitats by drain~ <br />age and/or inundation for agricultural 'purposes. river channelization. and <br />water impoundment has greatly decreased available habitat for the species. <br />Like other turtles. the Blanding's turtle is also vulnerable 10 collecting as <br />a desirable pet species ($45 for a 15 to 20 centimeter turtle); it is easily col- <br />lected in areas where it is abundant. especially during me neiting season. <br />The species' life history also makes this tunle particularly susceptible to <br />human disturbances. as evidenced by a long tenn and intensive study of <br />the population inhabiting the Kellogg Dunes (Pappas. personal communi- <br />cation). Some feaNTes contributing to this susceptibility are late matura- <br />tion. low reproductive potential (one clutch/season). long~hved adults. <br />and high mortality of eggs and juveniles. Population and repnxtuctive dy~ <br />namics suggest viable populations of Blanding's tunles are dependent on <br />large numbers of animals and adequate areas of undisturbed habital. <br /> <br />PREFERRED HABITAT: The preferred habitat of the Blanding's turtle <br />includescalrn. shallow water. rich; aquatic vegetation and sandy uplands <br />for nesting. Studies by CongdOlI elal. (1983) in Michigan and by Linck <br />(personal communication) in Massachusetts have shown that nesting fe- <br />males may travel considerable distances (200 to 400 meters) to a nesting <br />area. passing enroute what appears to be suitable nesting habitat immedi- <br />ately adjacent to the marsh in w.hich they reside. <br /> <br />AID TO IDENTIFICATION: Blanding's turtle is medium-sized. averag- <br />iog IS to 2S centimeters in length. The species' most diagnostic field char~ <br />acteristics are its smooth. domed upper shell. or carapace, and its bright <br />yellow neck. throat. and chin. The carapace usually appears bluish black.. <br />with ;;umerous sp.ed:s of yellow throughout. The lower shell. :>r plastron. <br />is bright yellow with black patches on the outside margin. In general. the <br />adult male can he distinguished from the female by its slightly indented <br />plastron and longer tail. The most distinct fealUrc of the plastron is the <br />hinge, which allows the lUrtle to raise the plastron upward and provide <br />more protection to the soft extremities that it has pulled inside the shell. <br />For this reason me species is often referred to as a "semibo;w;" turtle. <br /> <br />RECOMMENDATIONS: Efforts to identify, protect, and preserve pre- <br />ferred habitats of lhis species should be continued. panicularly where <br />populalions are locally abundant. Additional information on the species' <br />local distribution and abundance should also be collected to allow an ac- <br />curate assessment of its current status and to aid in protection efforts. <br /> <br />SELECTED REFERENCES: Breckenridge 1944: Conant 1975; Con- <br />gdon et al, 1983;Ewert 1982; Graham and Doyle 1977: McCoy 1973; <br />Yogt 1981. <br /> <br />Blanding's. Turtle: adult viewed from above nop) and below (bonom): ..ide <br />view shown in silhouette. <br /> <br />C::;[':;':-. ...~ ~!.,l L~F/;:;::"',"'T1U~i:::'", (ol;.). 198:5. /'~m,".L"~"_ 'L-"::':".c:I~.!. '~L ~ :-::' ~- ~" <br />lni;'~""~J' oi M~:me.s.c~a Press.. ML'1Jleapoh~ for lhc Min-.c:;;o'" 1~',,,p' "f ','.., -__._i ',' ~ . <br />_ .. _......... i..... j <h:..o... ,~_~..: <br />
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