Michigan Herps

A Look at Michigan's Protected Turtle Species

Of all of Michigan's reptiles and amphibian species, it is probably the turtles that are in the most trouble throughout the state. Of Michigan's ten Chelonians, four are protected species. So of all the groups, why are the turtles the most vulnerable? For one, turtles are a slow moving animal which only real defense is to head for water, or retreat within its carapace. They are also the least likely to be intentionally killed by humans, however they are extremely subsceptible to the pet trade industry. The four protected speces in Michigan are incredily at risk to illegal collection. Another unfortunate issue with turtles is that they move into terrestrial habitats during the early part of the year to lay eggs, this means they are frequently hit by cars as they may cross busy highways in search of nesting sites. Let's take a brief look at Michigan's protected turtles, what conservation work is being done, and what you can do to help these species out!

Wood Turtle - Glyptemys insculpta 

State Listing: Special Concern

Active: Mid-April through mid-October

Conservation Threats & Efforts

Wood Turtles are found throughout the northern half of the Lower Peninsula and throughout the Upper Peninsula. They prefer clear watered rivers with a sandy or gravel bottom where lots of fallen logs and debris provide basking sites. There also must be adjacent deciduous or coniferous floodplain forest to the river, these areas are favorite summer habitats for the Wood Turtle as they meander throughout the woodlands. This aspect of the species' ecology makes them vulnerable to road mortality as they often cross roads during the summer months while moving from one patch of woodland to the other. The biggest threat to this species is development of riverbank land along good corridors of habitat. Often when these areas are cleared for holmes, or sea walls are put in alng the river to help prevent erosion. This can destroy potential nesting areas, and with a high mortality rate among young wood turtles, this can quickly decimate populations. Criticial conservation steps taken into consideration and application are the protection of habitat corridors where populations exist. Informing the general public about this species is also a considerable aspect of the conservation of this species, as many are collected for illegal pet trade or out of ignorance of the species' protected status. If good management plans are put into action, this species viabililty in the state can be maintained into the future.

Spotted Turtle - Clemmys guttata

State Listing: Threatened

Active: Late March trough mid-October

Conservation Threats & Efforts

The spotted turtle is a turtle species which is in a bit of trouble throughout its recognized range, as it is virtually listed in almost every state in which it is found. In Michigan, its numbers have dropped drastically over the past few decades due to a number of reasons. The species is very habitat specific and requires pristine wetland habitat with clear, shallow water, muddy bottoms, and emergent vegetation. These habitats may be wet prairies, prairie fens, tamarack swamps, lake margins, or other shallow marsh sites. This species is popular among turtle and reptile enthusiasts for its small size and attractive patterning. This has lead to a huge amount of overcollecting for both illegal pet trade and scientific purposes. Even after they were given full legal protection, this is still the major conservation threat to this species. In addition, the draining and clearing of wetlands where this species was once found has lead to their decline. Low survivorship rates among juveniles and low reproductive potential among adult turtles combined with habitat loss and overcollecting has caused a severe drop in numbers of this species across its range. To maintain the viability of this species in Michigan, populations should continue to be monitored closely to prevent illegal collection and degradation of nest sites. Surrounding habitats to known populations should also be managed properly to provide buffer zones for the population to expand if neccessary.

Blanding's Turtle - Emydoidea blandingii

State Listing: Special Concern

Active: Early April to late October

Conservation Threats & Efforts 

The Blanding's Turtle is a species which is in a considerable amount of peril throughout its range, although it is doing somewhat better throughout Michigan it would seem, but that can be deceiving. Although lots of adults are commonly seen througout the state, there seems to be a major absence of juvenile individuals in this species. These are one of the longest lived turtles in the state, and this trend of only adults being observed could mean that the state's population could take a major hit in the coming years. Blanding's Turtles typically inhabit clear lakes, sloughs, vernal pools, slow moving streams, and clear water marshes. The main reasons for the decline of the Blanding's  Turtle in Michigan has been loss or fragmentation of suitable habitats. This species also suffers from illegal collection and road mortality. Females have a nag for nesting on the edges of dirt roads during the summer months, and often fall victim to passing cars which either do not see them, or intentionally run them over out of ignorance. Most of Michigan's populations are and will continue to be monitored to protect against collection and disruption of nesting sites. It is also important to continue to properly manage and preserve suitable wetland habitats and upland habitats that this species may utilize throughout the course of the year.

Eastern Box Turtle - Terrapene carolina

State Listing: Special Concern

Active: Late April through late October

Conservation Threats & Efforts

The eastern box turtle is Michigan's only true terrestrial turtle. It typically occurs in forested habitats with sandy soil, but may wander into wetlands such as prairie fens during certain times of the year. This species wanders all over the terrestrial landscape throughout the course of the year, and of all Michigan turtle species is the most vulnerable to road mortality. Another manjor risk this species faces is illegal collection. Box turtles are long-lived and are particularly easy to keep in captivity, which makes them a popular pet for hobbyists. Large tracts of public land which house populations of box turtles should continue to be managed and to limit the building of new roads which could separate foraging and hibernation areas. This species will continue to receive legal protection to help ensure its future in the Wolverine state.

What You Can Do!

As listed in the sections above, most turtles suffer from similar threats. The general public can help with managing some of the issues turtles deal with. For one, be sure to be mindful of turtles crossing roads during May and early June, and try to avoid hitting them if possible. Slow down in certain areas that are less developed, and just slow down in general. Secondly, do not collect any turtle from the wild as a pet. Most don't keep well in captivity anyways. But the more significant issue is that a lot of turtles have very low reproductive potential and low survivorship rates among juveniles, removing potential breeding females can cause a catastrophic drop in population numbers. The best things is to admire the turtles in their natural environment, and just let them be. 

Occurence maps and information on each species © The Michigan Natural Features Inventory