Bog turtle
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Physical features
Bog turtles are very small with a length of 3-4.5 inches as adults. Until very recently, this was considered the smallest turtle in North America (and, arguably, the world) but it now competes with the newly described Cora mud turtle from Mexico.
The color of a bog turtle’s shell is black/brown, and may be marked with radiating lines or blotches around the shell.
The head and neck are black or brown with large reddish-orange or yellow blotches behind the eyes.
Bog turtles are mostly diurnal meaning they are active during the day.
Range and Habitat
Range – Eastern United states (Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts)
There are two distinct geographic population segments, one in the north (from Maryland to western New York) and one in the south (from extreme northeast Georgia, eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, southern Virginia, and possibly extreme western South Carolina). These populations are completely isolated.
Habitat – Bogs, swamps, and marshes, typically preferring smaller, shallow, wetland-like bodies of water
Southern populations, like those in Georgia, specifically live in mountain bogs in the southern Appalachian mountains.
Diet: Omnivore
Wild – vegetation, berries, insects, amphibians, worms
Zoo – Turtle pellets, worms, crickets, fish, berries
Lifespan
Wild – over 20 years
Zoo – around 40 years
Reproduction
Mating occurs in spring, usually in March or May.
Courting may include the male biting and nudging the female’s legs, neck, and shell.
The bog turtle’s gestation period is around 45-65 days. They will lay between 1-6 eggs but 3 on average. Incubation is around 45 to 65 days.
Conservation: Critically Endangered
Major threats to the bog turtle include drainage of their wetland homes and altered fire regimes which allow hardwood trees to overgrow their habitats.
Bog turtles are currently classified as critically endangered and are protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Bog turtles’ small size and beautiful coloration have made them a target of the illegal wildlife trade.
Introduced wild hogs are a threat to mountain bog ecosystems.
Interpretive Information
Due to their small size, bog turtles have a variety of predators.
In the winter, they will hibernate in burrows that are in the mud, or underneath patches of sphagnum moss.
Bog turtles are very territorial. They will very aggressively defend their territories, which are rarely larger than 1 meter in radius.
References
Harding, J. 2002. "Glyptemys muhlenbergii" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed October 13, 2023 at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Glyptemys_muhlenbergii
van Dijk, P.P. 2011. Glyptemys muhlenbergii (errata version published in 2016). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011: e.T4967A97416755. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T4967A11103317.en. Accessed on 13 October 2023.
US Fish and Wildlife Service: https://www.fws.gov/species/bog-turtle-glyptemys-muhlenbergii accessed: 13 October 2023
Zoo Atlanta Animal Care Team.
Updated April 2024