bog turtles

[dragoncjo]

I saw this thread on another forum it is a pic of a baby bog turtle found in new jersey.
http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=908566,908722

Just wondering if anyone in here has every seen a bog in the wild in the pines. Personally I am unsure whether or not they occur in the pines but I beleive they may in Burlington county. Probably the nicest looking hatchling I've ever seen. It is ashame there are so many scumbags out there that remove these guys from the wild.

 

[uuglypher]

I saw this thread on another forum it is a pic of a baby bog turtle found in new jersey.
http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=908566,908722

Just wondering if anyone in here has every seen a bog in the wild in the pines. Personally I am unsure whether or not they occur in the pines but I beleive they may in Burlington county. Probably the nicest looking hatchling I've ever seen. It is a shame there are so many scumbags out there that remove these guys from the wild.

No, I never saw one in the pines, although I recall that it was a species I should be on the look-out for and had hoped to see. I know that the entire southern half or two-thirds of NJ was ostensibly within the range of the bog turtle according to the range map in one of the field guides I used to use. I've seen only two: one in a major wetland /marsh area ("Montezuma Swamp") north of the outlet of Cayuga lake in upstate NY (in the early 60's) and one in Chester County, PA in wet pastureland in the floodplane of Brandywine creek (in the mid 90's).

I recall that there was a rescue and release project for Muhlengergs (bogs) run under the auspices of the New York Veterinary College at Cornell ... maybe 5 or 6 years ago. Don't know if it's still a going concern.

Dave G.

 

[bigfootmorf]

go to whitebogs village

If you wanna see bogs,and bog turtles,go to whites bogs village located between brownsmills and fort dix.Its part of lebanon state forest.About 2 yrs. ago,i wanna say during late summer,there were tons of em crawling in and out of the bogs located behind the village,they were all over the dirt roads,some were very small

 

[daved]

whitesbog bog turtles?

I am new to this site and want to say I like it alot. Now about bog turtles in whitesbog I have been doing some research about bog turtles in nj and have never heard of any listed sightings of bogs there. You say you seen lots of them in late summer? The best time to find a bog is in the spring when it is not too hot. During the summer they lay in mud to avoid the heat. The bog turtle is a very small turtle as an adult. If you could describe what the turtles looked like I would greatly appreciate that. I am just skeptical that you seen bog turtles. Thanks.

 

[bigfootmorf]

I may be mistaken,this was a couple years ago.I believe it was late summer because i was scouting for the upcoming fall hunting season.There were tons of turtles,very small,crawling all over the sandy roads,so much so,that at one point i had to back up,because i couldnt stand the possibility of running these little guys over.I am no turtle expert.

 

[dragoncjo]

what you saw where probably painted turtles. Whitesbog is not really bog turtle habitat. Eventhough their are cranberry bogs there, the type of habitat that boggies like is open farmland and cow pastures.

 

[Bobbleton]

or possibly spotteds. spotted turtles are genetically and morphologically VERY similar to bog turtles--and whitesbog would be a perfect place for them. a hatchling spotted would be VERY easy to mistake with a hatchling bog. even the adult spotted turtles become more melanistic the older they get . . . my friend actually caught a spotted turtle with no spots and a yellowish patch around its ears . .. it took me more than a few glances to determine it wasn't a bog turtle.

i've even heard rumors of research being done in the pines to determine a possible hybridization between the two species . . . i personally don't really think it happens, but who knows . . .


-Bob

 

[dragoncjo]

Well to be honest I hope they are spotted turtles. I would much rather know that that spotted turtles where abundant versus painters. I go down to whitesbog alot especiallly late last summer and saw about 3-4 dead baby paints on the dirt roads. Like you said to a non turtle person spotties and bogs can look a like. But late summer I doubt they were spotties. However I really hope so. I have seen spotted turtles with no spots, and also have seen supposed hybrids on the internet. I just have a hard time thinking of a spot in south jersey where the two turtles habitats overlap. Boggies to my knowledge only exist in salem and gloucester? counties(as for south jersey), most are up north. Interesting though.
chris

 

[Bobbleton]

aah. "late summer". I missed that. Well it would be about hatching season at the very least . . .