Where’s Wildlife · Turtle Field Guide
Emydoidea blandingii
Pronounced (approx.): em-ih-DOY-dee-uh BLAN-ding-ee-eye
A yellow-throated wetland turtle with a smooth, domed shell and an upturned-looking mouth.
Blanding’s Turtle. Select the photo to browse the gallery. Photographs © Where’s Wildlife.
NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA
Sizes refer to upper-shell length; age, sex and location affect size.
Bright yellow chin and throat
Dark, domed shell scattered with pale flecks
Long neck and a notched upper jaw
Compare views, markings and body shapes in the photographs below.
The solid yellow throat is a strong clue when the head is extended. Look at the shell’s rounded profile and fine pale markings as supporting features.
Spotted Turtles are smaller and usually have clearer, round yellow shell spots. Box turtles can also have high shells, but their head markings and shell patterns differ. A hidden head can make a distant photograph harder to identify.
Shallow marshes, quiet ponds and vegetated wetland complexes. Adults feed on crayfish, insects, snails and other aquatic foods. Basks and forages by day; timing varies with temperature.
Females leave the water to nest in soil, and adults also travel between wetlands. This makes surrounding uplands and safe movement routes important parts of their habitat. Young take many years to reach maturity.
The yellow throat stands out even when much of the shell is hidden.
Adults may move over land between feeding and nesting areas.
Late maturity makes survival of adults especially important.
Centered on the Great Lakes and parts of the north-central United States and southern Canada, with isolated eastern populations. Occurrence is patchy; a broad range does not mean it is common locally.
Explore reported sightings on iNaturalist. Observation records are not a complete range map.
Photographs © Where’s Wildlife.