OutdoorNebraska

5 F all 2021 marked the end of a 4-year survey for Blanding's Turtles in Nebraska. Supported by the Nebraska Wildlife Conservation Fund, the survey's goal was to determine where Blanding's Turtles might be found outside of their population center in the Sandhills of north-central Nebraska. Nebraska has more Blanding's Turtles than anywhere else in their range, but their distribution outside of their core range in the Sandhills is not entirely known. In 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service launched a formal assessment to consider the Blanding's Turtle for threatened or endangered species status. To prepare for an eventual state assessment, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission requested information about the species' status and distribution outside of its core range, specifically in eastern Nebraska. A variety of survey methods were used, including visual assessments by using binoculars and spotting scopes, searching shorelines of small wetlands, and hoop-net trapping, which is a type of live trap that lures turtles into a funnel entrance that stretches open but does not allow the turtles to escape until biologists identify and release them. In addition, casual encounters on roads while traveling between survey sites were recorded. From July 2018 – October 2021, 327 surveys were performed at various sites within the Niobrara, Elkhorn, Loup, and Platte River drainages. Blanding's Turtles were found at 60 survey sites, including 29 new locations where they had not been seen before. Results from this survey show that outside the Sandhills to the east, Blanding's Turtles are widespread, occupying each of the main river systems. To the west, Blanding's Turtles have recently been found in Chadron and Crawford, over 50 miles from the nearest Sandhills location, so it is possible their range is expanding in Nebraska. While populations in other states need conservation actions, Nebraska's population remains robust. Even with this good news, Nebraskans are encouraged to always report a Blanding's Turtle sighting to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Natural Heritage Program. 4 Wrapping Up a Multi-year Survey for Blanding's Turtles By Dan Fogell, Life and Human Sciences Instructor, Southeast Community College Blanding's turtle in Nebraska. DAN FOGELL

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