Blanding’s Turtle

Turtle’s shells help protect them, but also have some fascinating geometric patterns. This activity explores turtle geometry as you design your own turtle shell.

Celebrating and Saving Wildlife and Wild Places:

The Detroit Zoological Society participates in a headstarting program for Blanding’s turtles, a native Michigan species. Female turtles are brought to the Zoo, where they lay eggs, then returned to their natural habitat. The eggs are cared for until they hatch and the young turtles are about a year old, then they are returned to the wild. There are many predators of young turtles, so this helps the species’ population increase and stabilize.

 Take Action:

If you see a turtle trying to cross the road, consider stopping to help him or her cross, but only if it’s safe to do so. Always move a turtle in the direction they are already heading, even if it’s away from the water. If you see turtles crossing at the same place every year, advocate to have signage put up to warn drivers to be on the lookout!

Download: Turtle Geometry