A Blanding's turtle can be identified by its bright yellow chin and throat and bright yellowish flecks on its shell.

In the winter, Blanding’s turtles cover themselves with mud and silt at the bottom of rivers and lakes and enter a period of inactivity similar to hibernation.  
 

Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) SAFE American Turtle Program 

From Blanding’s turtles to spotted turtles, the American turtle family faces a range of threats in the wild that limits their long-term survival. AZA’s American turtle SAFE program focuses on Blanding’s turtles, bog turtles, box turtles, wood turtles and spotted turtles.  

Brookfield Zoo Chicago participates in the AZA SAFE American Turtle Program to help identify survival threats, support recovery, and offer you opportunities to learn more about at-risk species. 
 

Threats 

• • Habitat loss and degradation 

• • Illegal trafficking  

• • Climate change 

How We Care 

• • Brookfield Zoo Chicago opened an outdoor turtle habitat in 2024 that houses Blanding’s turtles, as well as four other species, where you can learn more about local turtle conservation.  

• • The Zoo partners with the DuPage Forest Preserve Blanding’s Turtle Restoration project to provide better homes for and boost the population of Blanding’s turtles. 

• • The Zoo’s one-acre pond serves as a breeding habitat for adult Blanding’s turtles. Eggs produced in this habitat are brought to DuPage County Forest Preserve facilities where they’ll be incubated and raised to be released back into the wild.