By Master Naturalist, Doug Jackson
“The turtle lives ‘twixt plated decks,
Which practically conceal its sex.
I think it clever of the turtle,
In such a fix to be so fertile.”
Ogden Nash
The “plated decks” this humorist and poet ‘shellariously’ wrote of are, of course, turtles’ shells. Properly, their shells are comprised of the upper part covering the back called the carapace, and the lower part covering the belly called the plastron. These two “decks” are then fused together at the bridge.
The turtle’s shell is actually a bony extension of its spine and ribs. The bony tissue is covered with a very thin layer of skin. And with most turtles, the skin is covered with small adjoining plates made of keratin (like our fingernails) called scutes that cover the surface of the shell.
Turtles are one of three types of reptiles that live in Michigan along with snakes and lizards. Just as snakes shed their skin as they grow larger, turtles shed their scutes. The new scutes have a new ring around their edges. Turtles can be aged by their scute rings in a similar way that we age trees by their growth rings.
Michigan has ten species of turtles, eight of which could be found here around Chelsea and the Waterloo Rec Area.
Our most common, the Painted Turtle is dark green with its head having yellow stripes, and its neck having red stripes. The bridge edge area of its shell also has red patterns. The male can be seen using its long front claws to tickle the chin of the female while he swims backwards in front of her as a mating ritual.
The larger Map Turtle is similar in appearance to the Painted except it has no red color on it and has noticeable dorsal bumps along its carapace. They are most often seen basking along the Huron River and in large lakes. They are fast swimmers and do well in strong water currents.
Another species similar in appearance to these two is the Red-eared Slider. The only red seen on them is a wide stripe behind their eyes. Hopefully we will never see these turtles in the wild around here because they are invasive. Native to southern states, they are popular pets sold at pet stores. Where irresponsible owners have released them into their local environments, these turtles have wreaked havoc on the native fauna there, transmitting diseases and destroying the habitat.
Our largest species, the Snapping Turtles are a common sight around here, especially in June when they are on the move laying eggs. Though large and intimidating, these turtles have the relatively smallest plastrons of all our turtles. This leaves a lot of their soft underside vulnerable, and is one reason these turtles use fierce biting as a defense. Because they are excellent swimmers, they prefer to swim away from swimming humans rather than attack us. They’ve been known to bite us only when we try to handle them.
Other large turtles are the Spiny Softshells. Easily identified by their flat plate-like profile, they have long snouts that act like a snorkel when swimming near the surface. These are also the only Michigan turtles that do not have scutes on their shells. These turtles, too, can wallop a fierce bite in self-defense.
Our smallest (and cutest) are the Musk Turtles. They are not much bigger than a fist and their carapace is highly domed, making them appear more like a large stone. In self defense, they can emit an unpleasant musk lending to their nickname “stink pots”.
The threatened Blanding’s Turtle is a special treat to find in our woods. Preferring vernal pools and woodland ponds over lakes, they can be identified by their bright yellow necks and dark, well-domed carapace.
An endangered species that is not to be found around here is the Wood Turtle. It is a mid sized turtle that derives its name from its scutes that look like wood with growth rings. They are more of a dry land turtle rather than a water turtle, and found wandering in forests.
Another endangered species in Michigan is the Spotted Turtle. They are small to mid-sized with an attractive dark carapace covered with bright yellow spots. Also a woodland turtle, they are so appealing that, over the years, people collecting them from the wild as pets have caused their wild population to nearly vanish.
And the last of our Michigan turtles is another woodland species, the Eastern Box Turtle. These, too, are threatened by illegal collection. Both the Box and Blanding’s have hinges on their plastrons that enable the turtle to completely close up its shell after withdrawing its head and limbs inside, making a nearing impregnable armor against predators.
Michigan turtles are most visible in June because they are on the move to breed and lay eggs. Since the mothers do not care for their young, if you notice a turtle laying eggs in your garden or yard, you can help their conservation by placing a cage of some sort over the nest to keep predators such as raccoons from digging them up.
Another conservation effort can include watching for them on our roads. If you see one crossing the road, and it is safe to do so, stop and wait for it to cross. If it is too slow, you can help it across, but be sure to move it across in the same direction as it was traveling, despite water being behind it. The turtles are on a mission to get to where they want.
Special care needs to be taken when handling turtles. Never carry a turtle by the tail. This is painful for them and can even injure their spine. Most turtles can be carried by holding them like a hamburger with fingers supporting both on top and beneath.
Snappers, however, require a bit more care and fortitude. If you must pick up a Snapper, stand behind it, grab the carapace just above its rear legs, and keep its head facing forward away from you while you move it.
And the best conservation effort we can make for our beloved reptilian friends is to never take them from the wild as pets, even if for a week. Taking them from the wild is taking future generations of turtles from the wild. They can easily become malnourished if not fed their natural diet. And if released back into the wild, they can transmit pathogens and diseases that they’ve picked up while in captivity to the wild populations.
We love turtles and they are essential to a healthy ecosystem. Let’s all learn to appreciate them for what they are, wild animals, and help provide a clean and safe environment for them, the best as we can.
After all, even though they “live ‘twixt plated decks,” their shells can only protect them from so much danger.
