Alden Trotman, West Amwell Township Elementary School
Hunterdon County
Bog turtle. Hunterdon County. Alden Trotman
Bog Turtle
I am one of the smallest turtles in North America and can be hard to find. I am only four inches long as an adult, and I am good at hiding. I am found in bogs in the northern, central, and southwestern parts of New Jersey. You can identify me by my small size, brownish-black upper shell, and the bright orange-red blotches on my neck. I have long front claws for digging and a long, thick tail. My field markings will help you identify me.
I need the same things you need: clean water, food, shelter, and space to reproduce. Unlike humans I cannot live anywhere but my bog habitat. In winter I hibernate in burrows where moving water keeps my body from freezing. During spring I sunbathe in open fields. I am omnivorous. I eat plants like seeds, berries, shoots, and invertebrates like worms and insects. Since I am part of the bog habitat food chain, I am also prey for predators. In early summer female bog turtles lay three to four eggs in grassy places. The eggs hatch in late summer. Hatchlings are about an inch long. Eggs and hatchlings are food for other bog animals. If I survive to be an adult, I could live to be fifty years old!
Will you help me survive? I am endangered because of human activities. Protect what is left of New Jersey’s bogs. Stop draining bogs for building sites and building roads through my home. Turtles are killed by cars while crossing from one side of their home to the other. If bogs disappear, I will disappear too. Do not collect us and keep us for pets. This is illegal! We are wild animals that belong in bogs not terrariums. Thank you for helping my endangered species to survive.
Written by: Alden Trotman
West Amwell Township Elementary School
Lambertville, NJ
Teacher: Mr. Kowalewski