Potter Park Zoo is happy to share that two Blanding’s turtles have been released back into the wild.
The Zoo is currently participating in a study led by the Michigan Natural Features Inventory, investigating the suitability of headstarting Blanding’s turtles to increase numbers in the wild. Predation of turtle nests and hatchlings is a significant threat to Blanding’s turtle and other turtle populations in Michigan. Headstarting can help increase the number of young turtles and boost wild populations by incubating and protecting eggs and hatchlings from predators and feeding and taking care of them so they are bigger and healthier than wild turtles at the same age when they are released, giving them a greater chance to make it to adulthood.
These two turtles arrived at the zoo as eggs. One was part of a clutch that had been disturbed in the wild. The other was salvaged from a female that had been hit by a car. They were taken to another facility until they came to Potter Park Zoo with approval from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries division. The eggs were incubated and the turtles were cared for after they hatched until the time came to release them near the location of the original disturbed nest.
Blanding’s turtles are long lived, and don’t reach sexual maturity until 14-20 years of age. They are a species of special concern in Michigan. Effective as of April 2025, they are protected from take under the DNR Fisheries Order 224.25 – Regulations on the Take of Reptiles and Amphibians. This order makes it illegal to kill, take, trap, possess, buy, sell, barter or attempt to do so, any reptile, amphibian from the wild, or the eggs of any reptile or amphibian. These turtles are becoming rarer in Michigan due to habitat loss, predation, road mortality, and other threats. They require clean, shallow water with abundant aquatic vegetation, with areas suitable for breeding within about a mile. Since they can also travel long distances to find nesting spots, they are also at risk of being hit and killed on the road.
While the two hatchlings released this week were the first that PPZ has raised and released, Potter Park is currently rearing over 40 hatchling turtles for release in the spring. The zoo is excited for the opportunity to help this important species increase their survivability in the wild…