The Plight of North America's Tiniest Turtle

Photo: Julie Larsen Maher

It's called the bog turtle and it's North America's tiniest turtle. It reaches a maximum length of 4.5 inches. The bog turtle's federal status is threatened but in states like New York, the turtle is endangered. Under federal regulations, "it is unlawful to sell, trade, barter, possess, import, export, catch, take, or kill bog turtles," because of their current status. But even still, the plight of the bog turtle is bleak because of habitat encroachment and poaching. Lately, the bog turtle has been suffering an even higher mortality rate which has motivated environmental organizations like the Wildlife Conservation Society, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation to step in and figure out why.

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