Bog turtle

Bog turtle Temporal range: 5–0 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ Middle – Recent
Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Emydidae
Genus:	Glyptemys
Species:	G. muhlenbergii
Binomial name
Glyptemys muhlenbergii (Schoepff, 1801)
Distribution. The range does not extend beyond the Canada–US border.
Synonyms
Testudo muhlenbergii Schoepff, 1801 Emys muhlenbergii — Schweigger, 1812 Chersine muhlenbergii — Merrem, 1820 Emys biguttata Say, 1824 Terrapene muhlenbergii — Bonaparte, 1831 Emys bipunctata Gray, 1831 Emys (Cistuda) carolinae var. fusca Gray, 1831 Emys fusca — Gray, 1831 Clemmys (Clemmys) muhlenbergii — Fitzinger, 1835 Geoclemys muhlenbergii — Gray, 1856 Calemys muehlenbergii — Agassiz, 1857 (ex errore) Emys muehlenbergii — Agassiz, 1857 Kalemys muhlenbergii — Ennis, 1861 Geoclemmys muhlenbergii — Gray, 1869 Geoclemmys muhlenburgii Gray, 1870 (ex errore) Calemys muhlenburgii — Gray, 1870 Chelopus muhlenbergii — Cope, 1875 Calemys muhlenbergii — Boulenger, 1889 Clemmys muhlenbergi Fowler, 1906 (ex errore) Clemmys nuchalis Dunn, 1917 Melanemys muhlenbergii — Shufeldt, 1919 Clemmys muhlenberg Brimley, 1943 (ex errore) Glyptemys muhlenbergii — Holman & Fritz, 2001

The bog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) is a critically endangered semiaquatic turtle endemic to the eastern United States. It was first scientifically described in 1801 after an 18th-century survey of Pennsylvania. The smallest North American turtle, it measures about 10 centimeters (4 in) long when fully grown. Although the bog turtle is similar in appearance to the painted or spotted turtles, its closest relative is actually the somewhat larger wood turtle. The bog turtle can be found from Vermont in the north, south to Georgia, and west to Ohio. Diurnal and secretive, it spends most of its time buried in mud and – during the winter months – in hibernation. The bog turtle is omnivorous, feeding mainly on small invertebrates.

Adult bog turtles weigh 110 grams (3.9 oz) on average. Their skins and shells are typically dark brown, with a distinctive orange spot on each side of the neck. Considered threatened at the federal level, the bog turtle is protected under the United States' Endangered Species Act. Invasive plants and urban development have eradicated much of the bog turtle's habitat, substantially reducing its numbers. Demand for the bog turtle is high in the black market pet trade, partly because of its small size and unique characteristics. Various private projects have been undertaken in an attempt to reverse the decline in the turtle's population.

The turtle has a low reproduction rate; females lay one clutch per year, with an average of three eggs each. The young tend to grow rapidly, reaching sexual maturity between the ages of 4 and 10 years old. Bog turtles live for an average of 20 to 30 years in the wild. Since 1973, the Bronx Zoo has successfully bred bog turtles in captivity.

The bog turtle was noted in the 18th century by Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg, a self-taught botanist and clergyman. Muhlenberg, who named more than 150 North American plant species, was conducting a survey of the flora of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, when he discovered the small turtle. In 1801, Johann David Schoepff named Muhlenberg's discovery as Testudo muhlenbergii in Muhlenberg's honor.

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Wikipedia