Type of Shell: Hard, domed & hinged shell

Reproduction: 5-12 eggs per clutch, one clutch per year. Nesting season ranges from April to late June. Eggs are laid in open sandy habitats, such as in light sandy prairies, road sides and sand pits. The eggs incubate for two to three months. The hatchings are around the size of a quarter to a silver dollar.

Blanding's Turtles are found in the mid-west from Nebraska to northern Ohio and southern part of Ontario, Canada. It's also found in isolated populations in southeast New York, Massachusetts, Missouri, South Dakota, along a patchy range in Nova Scotia, Canada. This species is listed as threatened in most of its range. It is listed endangered in Maine, South Dakota and Missouri. However, it is not listed on the federal level.

Diet usually consists of aquatic invertebrates, small aquatic vertebrates and some plants.

Blanding's Turtles are the only member of its genus! Several characteristics make them very different from other turtles in the family Emydidae. Blanding's Turtles have delayed reproduction. Meaning that they are not sexually mature until at least 10 years old. Other turtles, such as Red-eared Sliders can reach adult size in two to three years. Most aquatic turtles in the family Emydidae does not have plastron hinges. Blanding Turtles can move its plastron up towards the carapace; thus providing extra protection against predators.

This species was named in honor of Dr. William Blanding (1772 - 1857), who was a naturalist from Philadelphia. Dr. Blanding collected many specimens for the Academy of Natural Science, including the holotype specimen of this species at the Fox River in Illinois.

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