Michigan Turtles


home articles species index care sheets links

TURTLES

Blanding's Turtle

TURTLE FEATURES:

Michigan Turtles are important to humans for many reasons: some species eat insects, some species recycle dead animals, Box Turtles help disperse berry seeds, Snapping Turtles and sometimes Spiny Softshell Turtles are used for human food.

Turtles have lived on the Earth for over 200 million years. Turtles pre-date Dinosaurs.

The words "turtle" and "tortoise" are sometimes used interchangabely, other times they are used to differentiate groups of shelled reptiles. Sometimes "turtle" means any shelled reptile, other times "turtle" refers only to ocean dwelling shelled reptiles. "Tortoise" may refer to stricktly land dwelling shelled reptiles, or it may define all shelled reptiles except those living in the oceans.

The turtle's shell is made up of boney plates. It also includes skeletal parts of the backbone, ribs, and shoulders. It is covered with armor-type scales called scutes. The shell is composed of two parts: the carapace = upper shell and the plastron = under shell.

The Common Musk Turtle is sometimes called "stink pot". When this animal is frightened, it sometimes emits a musk odor from glands under its shell.

The Eastern Box Turtle is the only truely terrestrial turtle of Michigan. They are a "species of special concern" in Michigan. They are protected by law.

The Spotted Turtle and the Wood Turtle are also considered "species of special concern" in Michigan.

Some baby Painted Turtles hatch in the fall. These babies often remain underground in the nest area until the next spring. Their bodies produce a natural "anti-freeze" to protect them through the winter.

Snapping Turtles are very defensive when on land. They have very powerful jaws, and they bite as a means of defense. The handling of Snapping Turtles should be avoided.

Snapping Turtles live in aquatic habitats, but it is very common to spot these animals on the land or crossing roads as they very often migrate from one water area to another.

The Spiny Softshell can obtain oxygen through the skin on their throat. This allows for them to "breath" underwater, but it also makes them more sensitive to water pollutants.

SPECIES:

BLANDING'S TURTLE
Emydoidea blandingii

Blanding.JPG (7012 bytes)

Size: carapace length = 6 to 10.5"
Range: throughout the lower peninsula; upper peninsula = rare
Habitat: shallow waters; among aquatic plants; muddy water bottoms; marshes; ponds; rivers
Lifestyle: most active = spring, fall; breeding = spring; food = cratfish, insects, amphibians, dead animals.

COMMON MAP TURTLE
Graptemys geographica

!mapturt.JPG (7576 bytes)

Size: female carapace = 6.7 to 10.7"; male carapace = 4 to 6.3"
Range: southern and western areas of the lower peninsula
Habitat: larger bodies of water (often with strong currents); lakes; rivers; on basking logs; under logs and plant life
Lifestyle: very strong swimmers; food = snails, mollusks, crayfish, aquatic insects; egg laying = late May to early June

COMMON MUSK TURTLE
Sternotherus odoratus

Muskturt.JPG (6913 bytes)

Size: carapace length = 3.25 to 5.37"
Range: southern lower peninsula
Habitat: shallow waters; among aquatic plants; lakes with sand or gravel bottoms; at the bottom of the water
Lifestyle: most active = summer mornings and evenings; somewhat nocturnal; relatively poor swimmers; food = aquatic insects, aquatic plants, tadpoles, snails, crayfish; egg laying = May to August

EASTERN BOX TURTLE
Terrapene carolina carolina

!boxturt.JPG (9637 bytes)

Size: carapace length = 4.5 to 7.8"
Range: southern and western areas of the lower peninsula
Habitat: woodlands; near water; thickets; meadows; dune areas; gardens
Lifestyle: terrestrial; poor swimmers; food = a great variety, younger turtles tend to be more carnivorous while older turtles eat more plants; egg laying = June (females can hold fertilized eggs for up to 4 years before laying them).

PAINTED TURTLE
Chrysemys picta

!painttu.JPG (6014 bytes)

Size: carapace length = 4 to 7"
Range: throughout Michigan
Habitat: ponds; lakes; marshes; slow streams; slow rivers; shallow waters; muddy water bottoms; areas of heavy aquatic plant life; can sometimes be found in areas of heavy human population
Lifestyle: food = aquatic insects, aquatic plants, tadpoles, snails, crayfish, small fish, dead animals; breeding = spring; egg laying = late May to July; hatching = July to September

RED-EARED SLIDER
Trachemys scripta elegans

Redear.JPG (7356 bytes)

Size: carapace length = 5 to 11"
Range: probably not native to Michigan; populations are found sparsely in southern and western areas of Michigan; individuals may be occasionally sited throughout Michigan
Habitat: still waters; lakes; ponds; areas of heavy aquatic plant life; on basking logs or rocks
Lifestyle: food = aquatic plants, crayfish, snails, insects, tadpoles, dead animals; younger turtles tend to be more carnivorous than older turtles; egg laying = June

SNAPPING TURTLE
Chelydra serpentina

Snapper.JPG (6440 bytes)

Size: carapace length = 8 to 18.5"
Range: throughout Michigan
Habitat: wide variety of water habitats; slow rivers; marshes; muddy water bottom; in areas of heavy aquatic plant life
Lifestyle: food = wide variety, insects, worms, leeches, crayfish, snails, amphibians, fish, birds, mammals, dead animals, aquatic plants; breeding = spring to early summer;

SPINY SOFTSHELL
Alapone spinifera

!softshe.JPG (6397 bytes)

Size: female carapace = 7 to 19"; male carapace = 5 to 9"
Range: southern lower peninsula
Habitat: rivers; large lakes; sandy or muddy water bottoms; on basking logs; buried in mud
Lifestyle: food = crayfish, snails, insects, tadpoles, fish; egg laying = June

SPOTTED TURTLE
Clemmys guttata

!spottur.JPG (8184 bytes)

Size: carapace length = 3.5 to 5"
Range: lower peninsula - except northern most areas
Habitat: small ponds; bogs; areas with sphagnum; marshes; shallow waters; muddy water bottoms; areas of heavy aquatic plant life
Lifestyle: food = insects, snails, worms, slugs, crayfish, tadpoles, aquatic plants; breeding = April to May; egg laying = June; hatching = late summer

WOOD TURTLE
Clemmys insculpta

Woodturt.JPG (5601 bytes)

Size: carapace length = 6.3 to 9.4"
Range: northern lower peninsula; upper peninsula
Habitat: rivers; streams; waters in wooded areas; sandy water bottoms; on basking log
Lifestyle: food = aquatic and terrestrial plants, snails, insects, dead animals; breeding = spring to fall; egg laying = June

Michigan Reptiles and Amphibians

home articles species index care sheets links