A 50 year old Blanding's Turtle
You’ve had the chance to see the Blanding’s turtles both in our classroom and in the wild. For tonight’s post, you are to talk about:
1. In-Class Observations: What have observed about Bowser and Yertle over the past five weeks? Please discuss three observations that you have had.
2. Great Meadows Observations: What did you learn about Blanding’s Turtles from our trip to Great Meadows last week.
3. What questions do you have about Blanding’s turtles?
4. Why is it important to protect the Blanding’s turtles?
You can use your turtle journal to help you with this assignment.
Room 305B Responds 
Posted by EC18 on October 12, 2010 at 4:57 pm
1. First Question. I just had my turtle responsibilities today, and I noticed that they ate a lot more than I remembered. Bowser ate 85 pellets, and Yertle ate 63ish. After a little while, they started swapping at the sides, like they were trying to get out. I found that a little strange. They also looked like they couldn’t see very well, and we had to show them the way, kind of.
2. I learned that turtles are VERY squirmy. It was also cool to see an adult Blanding’s turtle. I never knew that Yertle and Bowser would get that big. I like Nacho. Nacho was just like our turtles.
3. I was wondering… Since Bowser ate 85 pellets, and Yertle only ate 63ish, does that mean something is wrong with Yertle? Or is Bowser simply a pig? Also… Do all turtles get as big as the one we saw on our field trip? Not Nacho, but the other one. Are some smaller?
4. It is important to protect the Blanding’s turtles because without us they might not survive. They might be eaten by raccoons, or herons, or other things without us. When we do put them out in the wild, they will be bigger than most turtles their age, and so it will be harder for animals to eat them. They need us.
Posted by ec11 on October 12, 2010 at 5:39 pm
I noticed that Bowser is a lot bigger than Yertle. I think that is because he eats a lot more than Yertle. I also noticed that when the turtles eat they usually float with their food until they are close enough to get it. I think that is because they don’t want to swim past the food. Another thing I noticed is that a lot of the time when the are in the tank, Yertle is trying to push against the glass and get out. I think that’s because he wants to be a part of what’s going on outside of the tank. I wonder what would happen if they ate together.
Posted by ec14 on October 12, 2010 at 5:48 pm
1. I observed that Bowser eats slower than Yertle because Bowser chews the pellets and Yertle gulps the pellets. I also observed that Bowser eats a lot more than Yertle. Finally I noticed that Bowser and Yertle both eat over 10 pellets every time.
2. On our trip to Great Meadows I learned that Great Blue Herons eat little Blanding’s turtles.
3. I wonder if Blanding’s turtles eat more or less in the wild than they do in the classroom.
4. It is important to protect Blanding’s turtles because they are a threatened species.
Posted by EC13 on October 12, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Things I learned in class ………
Their belly’s outlining is yellow and belly is dark green.They have tiny yellow spots on their heads.They have a little frill around their neck which is actually not a frill it is their neck that is folded up so,when they want to expand it they can .
Things I learned at Great Meadows ………
A lot of turtles live in Great Meadows and in vernal pools.The underside of a turtles body is called a plastron.
Questions ……
Why does a plastron have lines like veins in a leaf ?
Why do turtles grow faster in the summer than in the winter?
It is important to protect Blanding’s turtles because are rare and need to be taken care of.
Posted by ec1 on October 12, 2010 at 7:59 pm
1.When I was observing the turtles I noticed that bowser eats alot more than
Yertle.I also noticed that when they eat they swim close to the food then float to it,I don’t know why but I’m guessing it’s because they don’t want to go passed their food.
2.Last week when we went to Great Meadows I learned that if the turtles eat alot when they’re a baby they grow up to be healthy.I also learned that if the bottom of their throats are yellow It means it’s a Blanding’s turtle.
3. My question is how do they survive in the icy cold water in the winter?
4.It is important to protect Blanding’s turtles because they are almost
endangered spicies.
Posted by E-4 5 on October 12, 2010 at 8:33 pm
1.I observed that Bowser and Yertle both snap at the food and swallows it whole. They sometimes spits it out.
2.At Great Meadows I learned that when the Blanding turtle are in the eggs their shells are rapped around them. And I leaned that Great Blue Herons can eat a Blanding turtle.
3.How are they threatened? How can they be saved?
4. We have to give the Blanding turtle a head start so when we let them go they can protect them sellf. And so they will grow trough the winter .
Posted by EC-8 on October 12, 2010 at 8:45 pm
1. According to my data, Bowser eats about 10 more pellets than Yertle every day. The most Bowser has eaten is 85 pellets in a day. The most that Yertle has eaten is 61 pellets in one day.
2. I learned from my experience at Great Meadows that hatchling Blanding’s turtles are about the same size as hatchling snapping turtles. I also learned that when we will release our Blanding’s turtles they will have tripled their size and weight.
3. Why do most Blanding’s turtles live together in groups? Why are hatchling Blanding’s turtles food for so many animals? What has caused the Blanding’s turtles to become endangered?
4. I think it is important to protect Blanding’s turtles because if we don’t they might die out. And if the Blanding’s turtles die out there won’t be as much food for its predators and if too many animals become extinct there won’t be much food for us.
Posted by ec21 on October 12, 2010 at 9:52 pm
That the turtles have eaten a lot of pellets over five weeks. They have gained a lot
of weight. They have gotten bigger.
A 50 year old turtle can be 5x bigger.
How big can be a full grown turtle weight be?
It is important to protect Blanding turtles because they are thretend .
Posted by ec19 on October 13, 2010 at 12:06 am
1. I noticed that in the tank the turtle’s kept running at the glass over and over again.
I also noticed that when they ate, they spat the pelllets out a couple of times before they swallowed.
The turtles have been growing. One turtle, Bowser, was growing and eating more than the other turtle, Yertle.
2. At Great Meadows, I learned that Great Blue Harings, which also live at Great Meadows, eat small turtles.
3. I would like to know why the turtles keep running at the tank. I also want to know why they spat the pellets out before eating them.
4. I think it is important to protect Blanding’s turtles because otherwise they will become extinct.
Posted by EC7 on October 13, 2010 at 1:10 am
In class I learned that baby Blanding’s turtles can eat more then 30 food pellets.I found that interesting because they are just small turtles and eating more then 30!!! I thought that bigger turtles would eat more and younger turtles would eat at most 25 turtle pellets.
I learned at Great Meadows that Bowser and Yertle can get as big as the adult turtle. I found that interesting because that turtle was about the size of flat dough to make bread. I think that they will get that big for the amount of turtle pellets they have been eating
Questions
Why is the top of the turtles shell called a carapace?
About how many times do female Blanding’s turtles lay eggs in a year?
I think it is important to protect Blanding’s turtles because they are endangered so if we don’t help them, then they could become even more rare animals and other big animals such as foxes, herons, raccoons and more could eat them.
Posted by ec15 on October 13, 2010 at 7:53 pm
1. I observed that Bowser can eat a lot of turtle food.
Yertle doesn’t eat as much as Bowser does.
Yertle likes to swim around more than Bowser.
2. At Great Meadows I learned that Blanding’s turtles have sharp claws and when they are about 50 they’re pretty big.
3. What was the fastest Blanding’s turtle and how fast did it go?
4. It is important to protect the Blanding’s turtles because they are an endangered species and we need to save the Blanding’s turtles from extinction.
Posted by ec11 on October 13, 2010 at 8:16 pm
1. I noticed that Bowser is a lit bigger than Yertle. I think that is because he eats a lot more.
2. At G.M.N.W.R. I learned that even great blue herons eat baby Blandings turtles.
3. What would happen if the Bowser and Yertle ate together?
4. I think it’s important to protect Blandings turtles because they are very interesting animals and they are on the verge of becoming extinct and I’m glad that we are raising them in our classro
Posted by EC6 on October 13, 2010 at 9:19 pm
1. a) Bowser eats a lot. I think he eats so much because maybe he is very active (as the class saw today when he wrestled Yertle) and needs to eat a lot for energy. Yertle does not eat as much Bowser. b) Bowser is bigger than Yertle. I think that is because Bowser eats a lot more than Yertle and as a result, Bowser is growing faster and getting bigger than Yertle. c) Sometimes they swim against the glass. I think it is because they want to get out of their tank and see everything around their tank.
2. At Great Meadows, I learned that some of Blanding’s hatchling’s predators are great blue herons, chipmunks and raccoons. I also learned that Blanding’s turtles are distinguished from other turtles by the bottoms of their necks, which are bright yellow.
3. I wonder what the temperature has to be for the Blanding’s turtles’ eggs to be male or female.
4. It is important to protect Blanding’s turtles because they are an endangered species and they could be extinct soon if we do not help them.
Posted by EC4 on October 13, 2010 at 9:29 pm
1. I agree with EC 11 that Bowser is bigger than yertle because he eats alot more.
2. They have been alot more playfull with eachother. I think that is because they are getting more used to eachother and the classroom.
3. I was just comparing the turtles to my fish and my dog. My fish eats 3 pebbles a day witch is less than the turtles, and my dog eats 3 bowls of dog food a day witch is more than the turtles. That makes sence because Pemi ( my dog ) is bigger than the turtles and Saint Nick ( my fish ) is smaller than the turtles. I observed that the turtles are getting bigger and bigger than Saint Nick.
Posted by EC4 on October 13, 2010 at 9:52 pm
1. At Great Meadows I obsrved that turtles shells can have different designs on them. I lerened that when Nacho’s shell looked like it had flowers on it.
2. I also learned that great Blue Herrings eat baby turtles.
My question is: Why don’t they name the adult turtles?
I think it is important to protect the turtles because they are an endangeed species.
Posted by EC10 on October 13, 2010 at 10:05 pm
I learned in turtle teams that Bowser eats way more than Yertle so I think that if they both survive for at least 48 years and they keep on eating as much as they are now than Bowser will still be bigger than Yertle.
At Great Meadows I learned that when Blandings turtles are in their eggs they eat the yolk that’s still in the eggs and some Blandings turtles still have some little pieces of yolk stuck in their bellys after they hatch it can rot and they can die. They can get extremely huge when they get to be 48 and older because Dr. Windmiller showed us one thAt was at least 48 years old and it was almost 1 foot long!
A question I have about the blandings turtles is how long can they swim without getting tired?
It is really important to protect the blandings turtles because they are an endangered species and we don’t want them to go extinct.
Posted by ec16 on October 13, 2010 at 10:43 pm
Bowser is obviously bigger than Yertle because he eats almost double of what Yertle eats everyday in turtle teams.
Dr. Windmiller taught us that the balndings turtles keep growing for quite a while of their life. He showed us a turtle that was almost 3 pounds and a turtle about double the size of Yertle. The one bigger than Yertle looked like it had fireworks on it. He let us hold the turtles afterward. The big BIG one had a rock hard head. He said that they eat the yolk when there inside the egg. And to get out of the egg, they had one long, sharp tooth to get out.
I wonder how long they really live for?
Posted by ec3 on October 13, 2010 at 10:45 pm
1. On the first day of turtle team, both turtles tried to get out of the tank. I think it is because the turtles are not used to the tank. On the 2nd week of turtle teams, we got to feed the turtles for the first time. Bowser ate a lot while Yertle ate very little. Yesterday I got to feed the turtles and Bowser ate 85 pellets yesterday and Yertle ate 61 pellets. Last week, Yertle ate 45 pellets and Bowser ate 50 pellets.
2. I learned that turtles like to wiggle. I thought that just baby turtles wiggle
because they are not used to people holding them. But that is not true, a 50 year old turtle wiggles to. I think that it is because they are up in the air and they do not feel safe.
3. My first question is how did Blanding’s turtles get there name?
My second question is how many Blanding’s turtles are estimated to live in Concord?
4. I think it is important to help the Blanding’s turtles because they are a threatened species. If we want to keep these animals we have to make room for the turtles so we can enjoy the turtles and the turtles can enjoy a longer life.
Posted by EC2 on October 14, 2010 at 12:10 am
Three things that I noticed about Yertle and Bowser the turtles are…
1. They are both eating a large amount of pellets. I have wondered how can any of them survive in the wild? By the number of pellets they’re eating I can finally understand that by the end of winter, they will be fat enough to avoid attack by predators.
2. When I fed Yertle and Bowser I noticed that Yertle can’t find the food very well because it has to be right in front of his eye before he knows its there.
3. I also noticed that Yertle chews his food while Bowser just snaps it down.
Things that I learned at Great Meadows are…
That Blanding’s Turtles need a giant space to live, a space even bigger than all of Great Meadows. This is true especially for females because for most of the year they live in swampy places and when they go to lay their eggs they need an open place that’s sunny and has soft ground, like a person’s lawn.
The questions that I have about Blanding’s Turtles are…
1. What is the fastest speed a Blanding’s Turtle has gone swimming under water?
2. About how many Blanding’s Turtles will there be if we keep protecting them for ten years?
3. I wonder how the Blanding’s Turtles just know that they need to find water when they hatch?
Why I think it is a good idea to protect Blanding’s Turtles…
I think it is a good idea because once people are more aware that the turtles are important, they will be in the habit of protecting the turtles and maybe other endangered species too.
Posted by ec12 on October 14, 2010 at 12:25 am
1.Bowser is a food hog. He darts his head up and swallows food in one gulp.
2. Yertle, on the other hand, swims to the surface and eats his food slowly bite by bite.
3. Yertle eats about 42 pellets every day and Bowser eats more than 50 pellets a day, so Bowser eats more.
2. At Great Meadows, I learned that turtles have an egg tooth and they use that tooth to crack open their egg. Some turtles get the yoke that they eat when they are in their egg stuck in their intestines where it rots and can kill them. The farthest a turtle has laid its nest from the Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge is one and a half miles.
3.My first question is what are the major threats to Blanding’s turtles ? Also do they live any where else besides the U.S.A ?
Posted by ec12 on October 14, 2010 at 12:37 am
Great job!!
Posted by ec12 on October 14, 2010 at 12:36 am
I think it is important to protect and preserve Blanding’s turtles because: they are a threatened species and we need to protect them so they don’t vanish off the face of the earth !!!!!!
Posted by ec9 on October 14, 2010 at 1:16 am
1. At school I observed that the turtles Bowser and Yertle were very active during the past five weeks. The turtles also like to rest for long periods of time. The turtles will stay in one place. I observed that Yertle and Bowser went from eating only 10-20 pellets to eating 40-62 pellets. I observed that the turtles snap at their food when they are eating.
2. At Great Meadows I learned that Blanding’s turtles like to nest in sunny places. I also learned at Great Meadows that great blue herrins are predaters of Blanding’s turtles. I also learned that Blanding’s turtles have sharp claws and know how to use them. I found out that you can tell any other turtle from a Blanding’s turtle because a Blanding’s turtle’s back of neck is yellow.
3. I would like to know if the Blanding’s turtle species would survive if people like us didn’t help them?
Can Blanding’s turtles control their tale?
What percent of Blanding’s turtles actually survive to 70 years old on their own without any human help?
4. The Blanding’s turtles should be protected because they are a species and deserve to live. The Blanding’s turtles are animals just like us and deserve to have help just like we do. The Blanding’s turtles will be extinct if we do not protect them. They are a threatened species. If you harm a threatened species like the Blanding’s turtles then you are breaking the law.
Posted by ec17 on October 14, 2010 at 2:09 am
1. I observed that Yertle and Bowser don’t like to eat their food when it gets soggy or when it sinks to the bottom of the tank. Bowser eats more food than Yertle most of the time. Yertle and Bowser have light yellow on the bottom of their necks.
2. I learned on the Great Meadows field trip that it takes about 18 years for a turtle to become a grown turtle.
3. I am wondering how long can Blandings Turtles live. What is the oldest turtle that Dr. Windmiller has heard about or seen?
4. It is important to protect the Blandings turtles because they are endangered species and lots of animals like to eat them when they are small and their shell is soft.
Posted by EC20 on October 14, 2010 at 12:18 pm
1.I have observed that both turtles have gained weight
and Bowser is only slightly bigger. I have also
noticed that it looks like both of them are maybe
giving up a little on trying to swim through the glass.
Another thing I noticed was that if one turtle is on top
of the other(which one usually is)it is always Yertle.
2.I learned at Great Meadows that Vernal pools are
great habitats for Blanding’s turtles because the small
tadpoles serve as a food resource.
3. Questions:
Are they color blind? Do Male turtles have
bigger/sharper claws or do the females? Are the
female turtles shells harder than the Male’s shell or
the other way around?
4.It is important to protect Blanding’s turtles because
they are endangered and when they just hatch they
are small enough for lots of animals to eat including:
chipmunks, great blue herons, raccoons, and a lot of
other animals.