Bog Turtle (Clemmys muhlenbergii)
Taxonomy:
Listing Status: and
General Information
This is the smallest emydid turtle, and one of the smallest turtles in the world. Adult carapace length is 7.9 to 11.4 cm (3.1 to 4.5 inches). The dark brown or black carapace may be marked with radiating light lines or a light blotch on the vertebral and pleural scutes. Scute annuli are usually prominent in juvenile and young adult specimens, but the carapace may be nearly smooth in old adults. The head, neck, and limbs are typically dark brown with variable reddish to yellow spots and streaks. A large reddish-orange to yellow blotch is visible behind and above each tympanum, sometimes merging into a continuous band on the neck. The upper jaw is weakly notched. (Ernst, Lovich, and Barbour, 1994; Harding, 1997) The plastron is also brown or black, but often with lighter yellow blotches towards the medial and anterior scute edges. A mature male bog turtle has a concave plastron and a long, thick tail, with the vent posterior to the rear edge of the carapace with tail extended. The female has a flat plastron and a thinner, smaller tail, with the vent at or beneath the rear carapace edge. (Ernst, Lovich, and Barbour, 1994; Harding, 1997)
Population detail
The FWS is currently monitoring the following populations of the Bog Turtle
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Population location: Wherever found, except GA, NC, SC, TN, VA
Listing status: Threatened
- States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: Connecticut , Delaware , Maryland , Massachusetts , New Jersey , New York , Pennsylvania
- US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: View All
- USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:
Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge
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Population location: U.S.A. (GA, NC, SC, TN, VA)
Listing status: Similarity of Appearance (Threatened)
- States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: North Carolina , South Carolina
- US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: View All
- Additional species information
| Status | Date Listed | Lead Region | Where Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-11-04 | Northeast Region (Region 5) | Wherever found, except GA, NC, SC, TN, VA | |
| 1997-11-04 | Northeast Region (Region 5) | U.S.A. (GA, NC, SC, TN, VA) |
» Federal Register Documents
| Date | Citation Page | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1997-11-04 00:00:00.0 | 62 FR 59605 59623 | ETWP; Final Rule to List the Northern Population of the Bog Turtle as Threatened and the Southern Population as Threatened Due to Smilarity of Appearance |
| 1997-01-29 00:00:00.0 | 62 FR 4229 4239 | ETWP; Proposed Rule to List the Northern Population of the Bog Turtle as Threatened and the Southern Population as Threatened Due to Similarity of Appearance |
» Recovery
| Date | Title | Plan Action Status | Plan Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-05-15 | Recovery Plan for the Bog Turtle, Northern Population | View Implementation Progress | Final |
| Date | Citation Page | Title | Document Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-01-29 | 72 FR 4018 4019 | Initiation of a 5-Year Review of Ten Listed Northeastern Species |
|
| 2011-06-08 | 76 FR 33334 33336 | Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of Nine Species: Purple Bean, Clubshell, Roanoke Logperch, Swamp Pink, Northern Riffleshell, Flat-spired Three-toothed Land Snail, Puritan Tiger Beetle, Dwarf Wedgemussel, and Bog Turtle |
|
» Critical Habitat
No critical habitat rules have been published for the Bog Turtle.
» Conservation Plans
| HCP Plan Summaries |
|---|
| NiSource MSHCP |
| NiSource MSHCP |
| NiSource MSHCP |
» Petitions
» Life History
No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.
» Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.
ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.
FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.
