Today I drove around a turtle (after I took its picture) and discovered it was a turtle which isn’t as common as the painted or snapping turtle. The Blanding’s turtle was removed from Wisconsin’s Threatened list on January 1, 2014 but are still listed as a Species of Special Concern. The destruction of Blanding’s turtle habitat is causing increased turtle mortality in all life stages and roads are also a hazard for them.
The females may travel a mile to their nesting site from about mid-May through early July depending on spring temperatures. Nests are not safe from hungry birds, crows, skunks, foxes, and raccoons. Each clutch, or nest of eggs, contains from 3 to 17 eggs and takes 65 to 90 days to hatch. The Blanding’s turtle takes 17 to 20 years or more to reach maturity and may live over 70 years.
Blanding’s Turtle
