Endangered Species: Blanding’s Turtle

By Oscar Kozoriz, NSEN Journalism Volunteer

Blanding's turtles, scientific name Emydoidea blandingii, are a species that live in Northern America. These captivating creatures, which have an extremely distinct appearance, hold an ecological significance that allows them to be considered crucial parts of the wetland ecosystems around Northern America. These turtles are named after Dr. William Blanding and are facing an array of threats that may put their existence within the wetland ecosystem in jeopardy. This turtle is considered to be “threatened” (Blanding's Turtle, 2023), which is different from endangered. A species that is endangered is at risk of extinction, although it has been stated that the Blanding's turtle is at risk of becoming an endangered species as well.

Reproduction

Blanding’s turtles have a breeding time frame that typically occurs during the period of late spring until early summer. Female turtles lay their eggs in sandy soils in the ground which ultimately initiates the incubation period for the eggs which can last 60 to 80 days. These turtles can live in the wild for more than 75 years. According to the Department of Environmental Conservation the oldest known Blanding turtle reached an age of 83 years old. A distinct feature of the Blanding’s turtle reproduction is their temperature-dependent sex determination. This means that the warmer temperatures we are seeing now lead to more female offspring. This is a significant cause of changing population demographics for these turtles. “anthropogenic changes in the environment, such as the building of roadways, pollution, and global warming also can change demographic and reproductive traits for turtle populations” (Janzen, 1994; Bishop et al., 1998; Aresco, 2005). The life cycles of these turtles are also being altered as temperatures rise every year and this is another factor that will affect the population numbers to come as more female offspring will be seen every breeding period.

Habitat and Threats to Survival

Blanding’s turtles are mostly found and distributed in the Great Lakes because of their particular affinity for the environment. These turtles have many preferred habitats within the wetland ecosystem including ponds, slow-moving marshes, small lakes, and shallow waters. Ideally, the turtles’ habitat will include a mix of aquatic vegetation as well as open space to use for basking. Habitat loss has had a major impact on the population of the Blanding’s turtle which is due in part to urbanization and agricultural development, with the wetlands being altered or completely drained which takes away the environment needed for survival (Fahrig et al., 2003). “Habitat loss has had consistent negative impacts on biodiversity” (Fahrig et al., 2003). Protected areas have been highlighted as a potential solution to help rebuild population numbers.“protected areas are a key conservation tool to maintain biodiversity” (Joppa et al., 2008; Rodrigues et al., 2004). Road mortality also plays another role in the dropping population of the Blanding's turtle as these animals are known to cross roads during nesting migrations, which leads to a high number of vehicle collisions involving the Blanding’s turtle (Fahrig et al., 2003).

Photo: Blandings Turtle in Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Oak Harbor, Ohio (Cannizzaro, 2015)

How Can We Support the Blanding’s Turtle Population?

We must come together to support and regrow the suffering of Blanding’s turtle population. We must acknowledge the issues at hand, an important factor being habitat loss, which occurs for many reasons such as urban development as well as the draining of the wetlands. A plan must be put into place that is going to protect these wetlands better than the efforts that are being seen today. These wetlands as well as all other wetland ecosystems around the world play a significant role in the environment. Time is of the essence as once a population has become endangered, it becomes extremely difficult for numbers to rebound. The government will be a key player in conservation efforts as it holds enough power to enact an ecological protection plan that can protect these wetlands which will ultimately help save the Blanding turtles population. In years prior, the government has failed to act (Walters, 2005). Regarding the increase in female offspring due to temperature rise, if the female-to-male ratio becomes a significant issue, a solution may need to be put into place for controlled breeding. Controlled breeding of this species would include the use of different temperatures in an artificial environment so that the female-to-male offspring count is not off the charts.

In conclusion, the Blanding’s turtle is an amazing species that is extremely unique for many reasons. This turtle not only has an impressive life span of 75-plus years which will hopefully make it easier to replenish the population, but it also can produce offspring for a long time after it has lived for about 18 years. Overall, the population of the Blanding’s turtle is at risk because of the human-caused effects and the damage that is being done to the environment. It is critical that we put a plan in place to ensure the survival of this incredible species and help the Blanding’s turtle adapt to its changing environment. 

References

Cannizzaro, Andrew. (2015). Blandings Tutrle in Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Oak Harbor, Ohio [Photograph]. Wikipedia creative commons. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanding%27s_turtle#/media/File:Blanding's_turtle_(Emydoidea_blandingii)_(17812011862).jpg

Christopher M. Hamilton a 1, et al. “Slow and Steady Wins the Race? Future Climate and Land Use Change Leaves the Imperiled Blanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea Blandingii) Behind.” Biological Conservation, Elsevier, 6 Apr. 2018, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320717310893.

“Blanding’s Turtle.” Blanding’s Turtle - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7166.html#:~:text=The%20Blanding’s%20turtle%20is%20a%20long%2Dlived%20species%2C%20with%20the,they%20are%2022%20years%20old. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.

“Blanding’s Turtle.” Ontario.Ca, www.ontario.ca/page/blandings-turtle. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.

Demographic and Reproductive Traits of Blanding’s Turtles ... - JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25512161. Accessed 14 Nov. 2023.

EBSCO Information Services, web.p.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer. Accessed 14 Nov. 2023.