University of Michigan Flint's Blanding's Turtle Research at For-Mar

What We Are Doing to Help

The Blanding’s turtle research project was started in 2019 by Teresa Yoder-Nowak, a lecturer at the University of Michigan-Flint. The study was briefly paused in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but was continued again in 2022 and is still ongoing. Since the program started, there have been thirteen individual Blanding’s turtles captured at For-Mar, two males, five females, and six juveniles! One of them named APK has been caught (and released) five different times since 2019 and has nearly doubled in mass since the first time he was captured!

Our Research Process

One major part of the Blanding’s turtle research involves marking and recapturing the turtles.

1. First, we capture the turtles in sardine-baited hoop traps at 3 different sites.

2. We check the traps regularly to see if any turtles have been caught. If so, we record data on their health, their weight (in grams), estimated age by counting scute rings, and sex if they are old enough to determine.

3. The turtles are marked with temporary and permanent marks, which does not hurt the turtles! The shell notching must be done CAREFULLY and correctly by trained professionals. [1]

4. Finally, we release the turtles back to where they were found.

Small notches are made in specific shell scutes to give each turtle a unique code for long-term tracking. As an example, this turtle’s identification code is AOXY.

We also track several turtles in the park that have radio tags attached to their shells. Using radio telemetry equipment, we can locate where they are in the park and monitor their movements from a distance. [2]

How Does This Help the Turtles?

The reason we capture, mark, and release turtles is to help us learn more about them. When they are marked, we can track them over the years as they grow older and keep an eye on the turtle population within For-Mar. This information can even help push out legislation to help legitimize their protection. The more we understand the turtle’s biology, behavior, movement, and habitat use, the better we can conserve their habitats and help their populations recover.

Want to Learn More?

For a detailed description of the North American turtle notching system, click here.

IMPORTANT!

Do NOT take wild turtles from For-Mar (or elsewhere) to keep as pets. Blanding’s Turtles are a protected species in Michigan, and as of April 2025, they are protected under the DNR Fisheries Order 224.25 – meaning it is illegal to kill, trap, possess, buy, sell, or take from the wild, including their eggs, without specific permits and permission. [3]
For-Mar does NOT take in unwanted pet turtles and does NOT allow any animals to be released in the park including turtles.

For-Mar does NOT allow feeding wildlife in the park and does not recommend feeding turtles anywhere in the wild.

DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME!

Remember – students conducting this research are trained and supervised by professionals which have the proper permits to handle the turtles. If you come across any turtles in the park or elsewhere, do NOT attempt to handle or otherwise interfere with the turtles unless they are in immediate danger, such as being in a roadway. If you assist a turtle across a road, move it in the direction it was already traveling. Always wash your hands after handling any wildlife, especially turtles.