The Bog Turtle

1. The Bog Turtle Alexus Robinson 2/7/14 Period 3 – Environmental Science Endangered/Threatened Species

2. Common Name Bog turtle Latin Name Glyptemysmuhlenbergii

3. 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)

4. 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)

5. 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

6. Reproduction Age: 8-11 Gestation: About 3 months Litter Size: 1-4 eggs

7. 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

8. Habitat Wetlands, meadows, bogs, and marshes

9. Distribution Territory and Range

10. 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

11. Predators, Parasites, and Disease Predators: Snapping turtles, snakes, muskrats, striped skunks, foxes, dogs, and raccoons Parasites: Parasitic flies  Disease: Bacterial infections, and bacterial aggregates

12. 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

13. Status (Delaware and Federal) Delaware: Threatened Federal: Threatened

14. Conservation Management Needs Field surveys Radio transmitters Breeding in captivity

15. Impacts to Ecosystem if Eliminated Food source for many animals

16. 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

17. 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.

18. Questions? Thank you for taking the time to view my presentation.