Population location: Entire, except GA, NC, SC, TN, VA
Listing status: Threatened
- States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: Connecticut ,Delaware , Maryland , Massachusetts , New Jersey , New York , Pennsylvania
A nature science class to identify the states threatened and endangered species is a good idea. It will help these precious members of any community out to survive and thrive.
by Andrew L. Shiels
The bog turtle's (Clemmys muhlenbergii) story is filled with irony and contradictions. It is Pennsylvania's smallest turtle. Even though it does not require large areas of habitat to survive, its populations have suffered from more problems associated with habitat loss than any other turtle in the Commonwealth. Bog turtles are cute, petite, and very attractive, which makes them an easy animal for people to like and want to protect. However, those same attributes also make this species very desirable in the black market pet trade. It lives in wetlands primarily in the southeastern counties of Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, those areas also have the highest human population densities in the Commonwealth.
