Agenda - Council - 02/12/2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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DESCRiPTIOn: The Blanding's turtle is a medium to large turde ~,'[th a black or dark blue. dome-shaped shetl ,~ith muted y~llow spots and bars. The bottom or' the shell is hinged across the front third, enabling the turtle to pull the t'ronc edge oi: lhe lower shell firmly against the top shell to provide additional protection v, hea threatened. The heud and appendages are dark brown or blue-gray.with small dgLs of light bcown or yetlow. A distinctive field mark is the bright yellow chin and neck. The a',erage adult Blar~ding's turde rang~ t'rom 6 to 0 inches in a s~raight-line upper shell length. HABITAT: Shallow. slow-moving water with mud bottorn~ and abundant aquatic vegetation are preferred'by glanding's turtles. Extensive marshes bordering rivers provide excellent habitat. In Minnesota, Blanding's turtles are primarily maz~h and pond inhabitan~ and are frequently found in a~oeiation with snapping and painted turtles. Blanding's turtles protect them.se~ves from freezing temperatures by overwintering in the muddy bottoms or' marshes and ponds. LfFE HILiTO RY: Individuals emerge from overwintering and begin basking in early April on warm. sunny days. Nesting occu~ during the first two weeks of june in i~,linnesota. Females are most active in late afternoon and at dusk. After crawling up to t mile and laying eggs, females may hide near a bush and return to the marsh the next day, especially in the earl)' morning. The nest is dug by the female in an open sandy area. where 5-15 eggs are laid. After a development period or' approximately two months, hatchtings leave the nest between mid-A ugust and' early October with an average shell length or' ! 114 inches. Often, the)' must make a 10nh overland trek to find water. Blanding's turtles are mild-mannered and do not attempt to bite. If molested or threatened they ~imply pull into their shell and wait for danger to pa.is. Nestq and young of Blanding's turtles t'atl victim to raccoons. skunks, and predatory birds. Adults are pa~iculacly vulnerable to being sir,ack by automobiles while crossing roads. -206- RE COMME:"CDATION5: We offer the following guidelines concerning construction and land use to help minim/ze impac~ on turtles. Workers should be infomed of the presence of Blanding's tort. les in the area. Roads should be kept to minimal standards for widths and lanes. Roads should be ditched, not curbed or below-grade. If curbs rnu~t be a.sed, 4"-high curbs at a 3:'I slope are preferred. Blanding's turtles have great difl~cuttT climbing traditional curbs. Curbs and belo~,. grade roads trap turtles on the road, increasing roadkill5. When working near wetlands, silt fencing should be set up to keep turtles out of co~truction areas. It is critical that silt fences be removed after the area has beer, revegetated. Ditch'-~ shc,,..!,g nut ~ mc. wo'2 ~.~a'.~. c.-~....~:u~.¢ ,~ .:...a.~.,. October. l~. . . Culverts comaectin~ wetland areas should be over-sized and elliptical or l~x-shaPed to t'acilita~e ~urtte movement between wetland& Utility acct:~ and maintenance roads should be kept to a minimum. Vegetation management under power lines should be done mechanically and between Octobrr t ' 4nd June P', ChemicaLs should not be ti.sod. Below-ground utility construction sit~ should be returned to original grade. Eroded material .h,mld be prevented from reaching wetlands and lakes. Graded areas should be revegemted with native vegetation. Use of fertilizers and pesticid~ ,hould be avoided. All.wetlands should be protected t'rom road, lawn, and other chemical mn--off by a narurall~ , ¢:rL,leed buffer strip. Shallow, vegetated we£1ands (Type 2 and J) should not be dredged or deepened. Landscaping should be left as natural as possible. Terrain should be left with as much natural contour as po~ible. Road placement should avoid separating wetlands rrom adjacent uplands and should avo,d h .... ~,n~ wetlands. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I