Ohio’s Blanding’s Turtles are limited primarily to the northern counties along Lake Erie, where they inhabit the marshy shorelines, inland streams, wet meadows, and swamp forests. Although essentially aquatic, the Blanding’s Turtle often travels overland as it moves among different wetlands throughout the year. The most distinctive field mark is the bright yellow throat and chin which can easily be seen from some distance away. Like the box turtle, the Blanding’s has a hinged plastron, but it is not as functional as the box turtle’s because the front lobe of the plastron cannot be closed tightly. Unlike other species of pond turtles, this large but timid turtle has no difficulty in swallowing food out of water. This turtle is named for William Blanding, the early Philadelphia naturalist who first described it. LENGTH: 5”–7”
Text courtesy of the Ohio Division of Wildlife: https://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/portals/wildlife/pdfs/publications/id%20guides/pub354_Reptiles-opt.pdf
