Bog Turtle

1 Overview

The Bog Turtle is a very small turtle that is most active in the warm summer months and buries itself deep in mud to overwinter. Because it is scarce, secretive, and hard to spot, it has been listed as a protected species. It loves to bask and favors warm environments. In the wild its active season runs from April to mid-October: in spring it often lies on sunlit tussocks to bask, while in the heat of summer it buries itself in mud or plant debris, exposing only a small part of the carapace to the sun. In winter it buries itself deep in the mud underwater.

Today, in almost every U.S. state where it occurs, the Bog Turtle is legally protected. Possession, collection, or sale is prohibited, and captive breeding is tightly regulated. Anyone keeping this species should verify and comply with all applicable wildlife laws.

Chinese Name: Bog Turtle (牟氏水龟)

English Name: Bog Turtle

Binomial: Glyptemys muhlenbergii

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Testudines

Family: Emydidae

Genus: Glyptemys

Species: Glyptemys muhlenbergii

Distribution: Northeastern United States — southwestern Vermont, northern New York, and northeastern Ohio, south through the Appalachian Mountains to Georgia and South Carolina.

2 Physical Characteristics

The Bog Turtle weighs about 84–140 g and averages 8.9–9.4 cm in length, with males slightly larger than females; hatchlings are only about 2.7 cm long. The head is brown with bright yellow, orange, or red streaks on both sides of the head and neck. The body is dark, and the insides of the limbs are orange-red.

The shell is high-domed with concentric ring markings on the scutes. Older individuals, or those that frequent rough hiding places, may have smoother shells. The carapace is generally black with chestnut, radiated-looking blotches on each scute. The plastron shows cream and black markings. The male’s plastron is slightly concave, while the female’s is flat.

3 Habitat and Distribution

The Bog Turtle inhabits calcareous wetlands such as sphagnum bogs, wet meadows, and moist lawns. It is found in southwestern Vermont, northern New York, and northeastern Ohio, extending south through Georgia and South Carolina along the Appalachians. It requires dense grass or moss cover and high humidity to survive.

It moves into open, sunlit spots to raise its body temperature by basking. For hibernation it buries itself in the mud of marshy waters at depths of roughly 6–18 inches. Hatchlings do not hibernate, only beginning to do so at two to three years of age.

Its typical habitat is shallow marsh and damp, muddy grassland; it favors shallow, vegetation-choked wetland water rather than deep pools. It is active through spring, summer, and autumn, and overwinters buried in mud in the wild. Although it hides under dense wetland vegetation in summer, it is often seen basking in clear daylight. To hibernate or to escape summer heat and predators, it commonly buries itself deep in the bottom of a muddy pool — surveys suggest it may spend roughly half its life buried in soil.

4 Breeding and Life Cycle

The Bog Turtle breeds after hibernation, from late April to early June. It nests in grass tussocks or sphagnum clumps. Most of spring is spent mating, and each clutch contains 2–5 eggs. The eggs are laid in unshaded grass and left to incubate on their own; incubation lasts 7–8 weeks and may overwinter before hatching.

Hatchlings are only about 2.7 cm long and frequently fall prey to birds and mammals. The turtle reaches sexual maturity at 5–8 years of age. Lifespan in the wild is believed to be around 30–40 years, while in captivity it can reach roughly 50 years.

5 Feeding and Care

The Bog Turtle is shy; a change of environment can easily cause it to stop eating, so the first hurdle in keeping one is getting it to feed. Prolonged refusal to eat can be fatal, so the method of initiating feeding matters.

It is an omnivore. In the wild it usually eats berries, duckweed, various insects, and carrion. It forages by day but is less active during the hottest hours. Its diet includes seeds, strawberries, insects, slugs, worms, and crayfish, and it can feed both in water and on land — a more terrestrial-leaning aquatic turtle.

To start feeding, hold a small river shrimp or small fish (fresh river fish or meat can substitute) or raw chicken with fingers or tweezers in front of the turtle’s head, preferably in water, offering it when the turtle lowers its head. There is usually no immediate response, so patience is required for long luring sessions. If there is no reaction after 30 minutes of luring, leave dead shrimp or fish in the water and step away. If it still has not eaten after a few hours, keep luring and offering daily — a turtle new to its home needs an adjustment period and may refuse food throughout it.