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Blanding’s Turtle
Emydoidea blandingii
Please submit sightings of this Endangered species to MDIFW immediately by emailing derek.yorks@maine.gov or (207) 941-4475
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Photo: Trevor Persons
Distinguishing Characteristics

Photo: Trevor Persons
- Medium-sized to large, carapace approximately 7 to 9 inches in length
- Smooth, helmet-shaped carapace (upper part of shell) is brownish-black to black with abundant cream or light tan flecks and streaks
- Conspicuous bright yellow chin and throat
- Plastron (bottom part of shell) is partially hinged; yellowish with large black blotches
Status and Distribution in Maine
- State Endangered; Species of Greatest Conservation Need
- Rare
- Southern region only
Habitat

Photo: Trevor Persons
- Primarily aquatic, found in vernal pools, marshes, scrub-shrub swamps, streams, and ponds
- Habitats with dense emergent vegetation and basking sites such as logs or sphagnum-covered hummocks
- Spends period of summer inactive under leaf litter in forested areas near wetlands
Diet
- Omnivorous, diet includes plants, berries, fish, larval amphibians, insects, mollusks, slugs, and earthworms
- Makes annual trips to vernal pools to feed on breeding amphibians
Seasonal Changes
- Hibernates at the bottom of wetlands such as ponds, shrub swamps, and vernal pools
Natural History Notes
- Can travel great distances, with some radio-tagged turtles moving up to 1.2 miles between wetlands; for this reason, threatened by habitat fragmentation from roads
- Sometimes known as a “semi-box turtle” because of its partial plastron hinge