June is a great month to see turtles at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge from the trails and Ottawa Wildlife Drive. Here are a few that visitors may spot.
Blanding’s turtles, left, are a state threatened species in Ohio and are found in the Lake Erie marshes. They have a distinctive yellow chin and throat with an Army helmet-shaped shell.
Blanding’s turtles are an aquatic turtle that may be found basking on logs or vegetation. Fragmented habitat throughout the Great Lakes range has led to their population decline. Anyone who spots one is asked to report the sighting to the refuge’s partners at the Toledo Zoo, turtles@toledozoo.org. In the email, please include the location, GPS coordinates or road names and a photo if possible.
Another turtle at the refuge is the snapping turtle. Snappers can be found in freshwater systems like rivers, lakes and streams. They like the muddy bottoms where they can blend in, wait and ambush prey. Their average weight is from 10 to 35 pounds depending on size. Snapping turtles breed from April to October and nest sites are frequently seen in disturbed gravel along refuge trails.
A favorite turtle is the eastern spiny soft-shelled turtle. These turtles get their name from their carapace as a tough, rubbery covering takes the place of bony plates. Their noses are long and piglike and their feet are fully webbed. They can swim up to 12 miles per hour and consume whatever they can fit into their mouth, though their diet typically includes insects, mussels and crayfish. Females are larger than males, but males have more spines along the edges of their carapace. Both sexes look flat and smooth like a pancake.
The photograph of the Blanding’s turtle was taken by Lori Monska, and the great egret is courtesy of John Robb.
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge’s trails are open daily from sunrise to sunset. The Visitor Center and Rookery Nature Store are open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The seven-mile, self-guided drive is open on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the summer. For a full calendar of events, visit friendsofottawanwr.org/spring-migration.html.
