By Grace M
Hello, I’m Grace! I am a student at Sparta Middle School, and for my Species Impact Plan this month, I will be raising awareness about the Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii).
The Bog Turtle is 4.5 inches, around the size of a credit card! It has orange patches that go up its neck, making it different from your average turtle. The Bog Turtle is native mainly to Connecticut, but we do have our own collection here in Sparta. Their habitat includes mountain bogs, or isolated wetlands with acidic, wet soil, thick moss, and deep layers of mud.
Recently, their homes have been destroyed! This is because of fragmentation and forest succession. The loss of their homes is more so in the South from forest succession, mainly because of the South’s dry environment; but with that in mind their loss in the North is mainly due to fragmentation!
Along with fragmentation and forest succession, Bog Turtles have been losing their habitats due to water quality and poaching! Poaching has obviously been a problem for a long while. Bog Turtle poaching has increased ever since it was considered rare on the black market. Just this data alone shows how much we need to save these turtles!
This article is being used to raise awareness for this animal, and if we don’t protect it soon it might go extinct! Here is a verified website you can use to learn more about the Bog Turtle, and how to save it!
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