Photo:Tibor Dulishkovitch. Reason for designation . Males largely eat insects and crayfish, while females have powerful jaws that they use to crush molluscs, clams and snails. Northern Map Turtle - Georgian Bay Islands The park is developing a protocol to monitor Northern Map Turtles as they congregate to bask along rock outcrops and shorelines on Georgian Bay. Nests are vulnerable to human-subsidized predators, such as raccoons, whose numbers are artificially inflated by access to human garbage, crops and other food sources. Males, on the other hand, are usually less than 16 cm (6.2 in) long.

Distribution: The northern map turtle is broadly distributed in eastern and central North America (Figure 6a).In Canada, its range is limited to southwestern Québec and southeastern Ontario (Figure 6b). The Northern Map Turtle is usually found in large water bodies such as rivers and lakes, particularly in areas with slow-moving water and abundant basking sites. Female turtles may take more than 10 years to reach maturity and can grow to nearly twice as long as males. They have been known to change locations in the middle of the winter (Harding 1997). Northern Map Turtle: Scientific Name: Graptemys geographica. W hat eats a turtle? Otters, raccoons and red foxes are predators of the eggs while pike, catfish, bass, great blue herons. Northern Map Turtle— Photo by Scott Gillingwater. Status . When approached, the skittish sawback map turtle will usually attempt to flee. This leads to elevated rates of egg predation, which may cause declines in recruitment and alter the structure of populations. Etymology: Genus: Graptemys is derived from the Greek word grapho which means "write" and emys which means "freshwater tortoise". According to University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, 13 map turtle species occur within the United States. Humans also collect the turtles for food. The measure will be completed annually through field observations of suitable basking sites. While many species of map turtles may inhabit the same rivers or other bodies of water, many are endemic to one river or area, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world naturally. The northern map turtle gets its name from the markings on its shell, which resemble contour lines on a map. Barbour’s Map Turtle Predators. The Northern Map Turtle has been listed as endangered in Maryland because of its restricted range. Northern map turtles are also injured or killed by vehicle collisions on roadways and by boat propellers in the water. Threats such as water pollution, waterfront development, vehicle traffic, boat propellers, habitat destruction, siltation, dams, and collection for the pet trade are all causes of the endangered status the Northern Map Turtle faces. They are avid baskers and they bask in groups (Kirkpatrick 1999).

Freshwater turtles have lots of natural enemies, or predators. increase the numbers of certain predators in Northern Map Turtle habitat. The Ouachita map turtle is a small- to medium-sized semiaquatic species with a prominent ridge down the center of the upper shell and bright yellow lines on the head and limbs. iii COSEWIC Assessment Summary . Average Length: females 7 - 10.8 in. This species is listed as endangered in the state due to its limited numbers, a reduction of its natural habitats, road kills, and heavy losses from nest predators like raccoons (“Blanding’s Turtle” 2015). Nesting sites are typically in sandy, open-canopy habitats within a few hundred metres of water. Catalogue No. referring to the reticulated pattern on the carapace. Description: Northern map turtles, also called common map turtles, are the most abundant and widespread of all map turtle species. Some big cats such as jaguars will also bite through a turtle’s shell to get to the soft flesh inside of it. They are found in the found in the Pearl River system in Mississippi and Louisiana where the current is moderate, the bottom is sandy or muddy, and there are numerous basking spots among logs and driftwood jutting out of the water.

Individuals overwinter at the bottom of lakes and rivers. Unlike other turtles, these gentle creatures don’t bite when handled. Predators of young sawback map turtles are rice rats. What do turtles eat? Mississippi Map Turtle Predators . While not endangered, this species is considered to be ‘vulnerable’ by the IUCN red list. It occurs in southern and southwestern Missouri. CW69-14/350-2013E-PDF . The carapace length of females can be as great as 27 cm (10.5 in). Common (Northern) Map Turtle: The Northern map turtle (G. geographica) has a broad range, extending from southern Quebec, Canada, southward along the western side of the Appalachians to central Alabama, westward across Tennessee, down into central Arkansas, up into eastern Kansas, northward through the eastern half of Iowa into southeastern Minnesota, and back eastward through the Great Lakes states. Biology. That doesn't leave very many young turtle survivors.

Species: geographica is from the Greek word geo which means "earth" and grapho which means "write". What Eats Turtles? Most of that time is spent under the water, wedged beneath submerged logs, in the bottom mud of a lake or in a burrow. Five of Wisconsin's 11 turtle species are listed as endangered, threatened or of special concern. The common map turtle is dormant from November through early April. The main predators of the Barbour’s map turtle are land mammals such as raccoons, and snakes.