Species at Risk Profile: Blanding’s Turtle

The Blanding’s Turtle is a medium-sized turtle that is easily identified by both its bright yellow throat and chin, and its dome-shaped shell that resembles a soldier’s helmet. Its shell is black to brown with yellow flecks and it can reach up to 27 cm long. It is often seen basking on logs within wetlands or shallow lakes alongside the similar looking, but flatter-shelled and much more common, Painted Turtle. Blanding’s Turtles can live for more than 75 years and it can take up to 25 years for females to mature.

The Blanding’s Turtle is currently listed as Threatened under both the federal Species at Risk Act and the provincial Endangered Species Act due to an estimated 60% decline in the number of mature individuals over the last 3 generations which was caused by a number of factors. The decline is expected to continue by approximately 50 per cent over the next three generations due to road mortality alone.

Factors that have caused the initial decline include large scale wetland drainage after European arrival followed by road and rail mortality, illegal collection for the pet, food, and traditional medicine trades, invasive species, human development, and an increase in subsidized predators. The Blanding’s Turtle is one of the more common at risk turtles at Garrison Petawawa, and if you’re lucky, you might just see one basking in a wetland or maybe nesting alongside a road. If you do spot a Blanding’s Turtle on the property, please be sure to report your sighting to Garrison Petawawa Env Svcs, ext 5960.