Did you know that the rarest and smallest turtle in North America (3rd smallest species in the world) might live in your own backyard? Most people don't have bogs in their backyards, but if you do, you might be lucky enough to have a resident Bog Turtle, Clemmys muglenbougi. If you don't have easy access to a bog, you will soon be able to observe and learn about the amazing Bog Turtle at the Nature Center.

We are preparing a new mini-bog display where the barn-type black rat snake display was in the main exhibit building. The main feature will be the newly designated federally threatened Bog Turtle. The turtle will be a young male on loan to us from Dennis Herman, the NC State Museum's coordinator of living collections. Mr. Herman is a world renowned authority on Bog Turtles and has graciously lent us one of his prize specimens to help educate the public on the plight of these interesting animals and their disappearing habitats.

The Bog Turtle is a small (about 3 1/2 inches long and about 4 ounces in weight), secretive turtle. It is only found in isolated populations along the Appalachians from Georgia to New York. Living up to its name, the Bog Turtle makes it's home in mountain bogs at elevations from 1000 to 4500 feet, Besides it's shell, the Bog Turtle's main mode of defense is it's secretive habits. It utilizes meadow vole runs and muskrat grass tunnels for travel and burrows quickly into the mud if spotted.

Bog Turtles are opportunistic omnivores and feed on practically anything they can catch. Their favorite foods are slugs, earthworms, and berries. They can eat both in and out of the water, which comes in handy during the seasonal water level fluctuations. Bog Turtles usually bask while partially hiding either under grass tussocks or with their shell barely exposed in the water. Being poor swimmers, they like the shallows that the bogs provide.

Mountain bogs aren't true bogs stagnant, rainfilled bodies of water. Mountain bogs are cool, spring-fed, sphagnum filled sedge meadows called fens. Bog Turtles are not the only rare species found in these soggy environments. More than 25% of the endangered plants known in the Southeast occur in the these mountain wetlands. Natural forest successions and human development are increasing the rapid disappearance of these natural treasures.

Beside loss of habitat, Bog Turtles have a few other things against their survival. One is that they don't reach sexual maturity until seven or eight years old. Also, they only lay up to six jellybean sized eggs (some turtles can lay over fifty eggs!) Predators like raccoons, minks, skunks, and herons can wipe out a whole nest of eggs or hatchlings in a short period of time. Increased road building and traffic takes a heavy toll on wandering turtles.

Hopefully, our new Bog Turtle exhibit will help all of us to realize what a unique and interesting habitat that mountain bogs provide for some of the world's rarest plants and animals maybe in your own backyard!