Monitoring Turtles at Nygren Wetland Preserve India John ’12, Beloit College Sustainability Fellows Program [1,2] Summer 2010 Blanding’s Turtle Painted Turtle [1,2] Emydoidea blandingii Chrysemys picta Turtle Monitoring Size: 6-10 inch carapace Habitat: Shallow marshy areas •Four traps made by volunteers set throughout the with abundant submerged preserve vegetation; semi-terrestrial •Traps were checked 3-4 times a week Temperament: Docile and shy •Traps were moved frequently throughout the property Status: State Threatened Species, •Captured turtles were: despite reported sightings, no • weighed Blanding’s turtles have been • measured (plastron and carapace length and width) captured or recorded at Nygren. Plastron (bottom of shell) • notched (Painted Turtles only) of Midland Painted Turtle • released Blanding’s Turtle in Boone County Midland Painted Turtle Photo by: India John Photo by Courtney Schultz Photo by Courtney Schultz
Two subspecies in Wisconsin: [1,2] Midland Painted ( Chrysemys picta marginata ) Softshell Turtle Western Painted ( Chrysemys picta bellii ). Apalone Size: 4-8 inch carapace Image Habitat: Marshes and ponds, with dense aquatic vegetation of Temperament: Docile Status: Common; the Western Painted is the turtle most abundant turtle in Wisconsin. Plastron of a Western trap Painted Turtle Photo by India John Snapping Turtle [1,2] Carapace (top of shell) of a Interns India John and Scott Kruger making turtle traps Eastern Spiny Softshell turtle Smooth Softshell turtle Chelydra serpentina Photo by Courtney Schultz Photo by Greg Keilback Photo by India John Two species: Eastern Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera ), Turtle Notching Smooth Softshell ( Apalone muticus ) Size: Spiny - carapace: fem. 7 - 18 in., Marked individual turtles by notching the m. 5 - 9.5 in. scutes on their carapace (Painted Turtles only). This turtle is sporting 2 rectangular Smooth - carapace: fem. 6.5 - 13.5 in., notches, one each on its first and second m. 4.5 - 7 in. scutes. Habitat: Lakes and rivers with sandy or muddy bottoms to burrow in Temperament: Spiny is more Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle Photo by Courtney Schultz aggressive than the Smooth Status: Spiny - Common but declining Common Snapping turtle Photo by India John Smooth - Special concern Size: 8-16 inch carapace; largest species of References turtle in Wisconsin. 1. Wisconsin. Department of Natural Resources. Bureau of Endangered Resources. Turtles and Habitat: Ponds, lakes, and backwaters of Lizards of Wisconsin . By Rebecca Christoffel, Robert Hay, and Megan Monroe. Madison, 2002. rivers Print. Ser. 104. 2. Wisconsin. Department of Natural Resources. Bureau of Endangered Resources. Wisconsin Temperament: Vicious biting habit when Department of Natural Resources. Web. 1 July 2010. found on land Notched Painted Turtle