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Rescue: Blanding’s Turtle and I (1989) [1]

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Date: 2023-02-11  

This is the nearest I could find to an equivalent image.

There are 17 species of native turtles in Illinois, roaming the prairies, swamps, and waters. And then there was the one in my backyard. It was in early October of 1989 and as I sat at my kitchen table with a cup of coffee, I perceived an object moving, from southeast to northwest traversing my (fenced) backyard. It was a turtle.

The Blanding's turtle is a medium-sized turtle with an average shell length of approximately 7-9 inches and a maximum length of 10 inches. A major feature that distinguishes this turtle from other species is its distinctive bright, solid yellow chin and throat.

I was used to the impossible, but this was extremely improbable. As the circumstance is not the story -- the neighbors would babysit a young boy and one day he showed up with a turtle, which ended up being abandoned in the southeast corner of my back yard. So I figured.

Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) is a semi-aquatic turtle of the family Emydidae. This species is native to central and eastern parts of Canada and the United States. It is considered to be an endangered species throughout much of its range. Both the specific name, blandingii, and the common name, Blanding's turtle, are in honor of American naturalist Dr. William Blanding (1773–1857).

I'm adding these details in fairness to everyone having read this far

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has awarded NIU Biological Sciences a $260,000 grant to create a framework for recovery and conservation management of the Blanding’s turtle.

Equally here, good news is always worth sharing. Now, the Story.

I rinsed out a bucket and put in a nice amount of water, after calling our local conservation district. I drove over there and showed them the turtle, explaining how unlikely it was that it might be from near where I lived. All said and I was directed to a nearby pond, actually quite large, very peaceful, and -- wow, what a long way from a cuppa coffee...and there I was with a turtle.

A walk down to the pond's edge, releasing the turtle into the water, watching near perfect stillness as it vanished. I just simply paused.

Maybe a minute later, in the middle of the pond, up pops just the observant head of the turtle -- looking precisely in my direction.

And, scene. I headed home.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/11/2152379/-Rescue-Blanding-s-Turtle-and-I-1989

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