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| Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) COSEWIC Status-under review Description: The Blanding's turtle is a medium-sized turtle, 15 to 27 cm long, with a long neck and a distinctive bright yellow chin and throat. The smooth carapace forms a high dome and has yellowish flecks on a dark background. The head and legs are dark and usually speckled with yellow. |
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Habitat: Shallow waters with some aquatic plant growth and a muddy bottom e.g. beaver ponds, marshes, sheltered bays. Habits: Hibernates from late October until mid-April. Terrestrial
movements by adults are common in spring. |
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| Blanding's are omnivorous, feeding on crustaceans and other invertebrates, fish, plants and carrion. They feed mainly under water but will forage on land. Mating generally occurs in spring. She will lay an average of 12 eggs in late May to late June. A female may travel up to 1 km looking for an open sunny spot with moist but well-drained sandy or loamy soils to create a suitable nest site. The eggs hatch late August to mid-September. The Blanding's reach maturity in 14-20 years and can live 70 years or longer. | |
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The
yellow plastron has dark blotches at the outer edge of each scute. Its
plastron is hinged, allowing the turtle to "close" its shell
however the flexibility of this hinge varies. Young have a grey, brown
or black carapace and are 3-3.5cm in size.