marsh – Discover-Nature

Turtles in Illinois

Of the more than 250 species of turtles in the world, 17 of them are native to Illinois. Some Illinois turtle species are found only in specific habitats, whereas others thrive in a variety of different places. Turtles are active through the warm months of the year, but all species hibernate during the winter. Illinois turtles are omnivores, feeding mostly on plants, fruit, snails, clams, and insects.

^{Alligator snapping turtle, Macroclemys temminckii: Lives in rivers, lakes, canals, and cypress swamps, mostly in the southern half of the state; has a red worm-like projection from its lower jaw that is used to lure fish into its mouth; Status: Endangered; UofI-AST; IDNR-AST}

Turtles have a unique body structure consisting of a keratin shell, consisting of a tough fiber made of protein. Shells may be a leathery, pliable skin-like covering or a hard cover made of scutes of varying shapes and sizes that all fit together. Shells are an integral part of the body containing skin, bones, nerves, and blood vessels. Turtles lack teeth but have hard, bony jaws, and they have webbed, clawed feet that easily accommodate movement over land and through water.

^{Blanding’s turtle, Emydoidea blandingii: Lives in quiet water in marshes, wet meadow, or vegetation in lakes; Can move long distances overland and lives over 70 years in the wild; Status: State Endangered; UofI-BT; IDNR-BT}

Turtles lay their eggs in a shallow, flat-bottomed hole dug by the female and covered with soil. Eggs hatch in about two months, and hatchlings are on their own with no parental care. Most will leave the nest immediately, except for painted turtle hatchlings which remain in the nest over the first winter, emerging the following spring. As winter approaches, aquatic species will burrow in to the bottom of a pond to hibernate, while terrestrial species will dig a burrow below the frostline to spend the winter.

^{Common musk turtle, Sternotherus odoratus: Most often found basking along still, shallow waters; Releases a strong, musky odor when disturbed, earning it the nickname of stinkpot; Status: Common; UofI-CMT; IDNR-CMT}

There are many factors pressuring turtle populations in Illinois, as in the rest of the world. Natural hazards including predation, freezing, asphyxiation during hibernation, and drowning from flooding during hibernation. Illegal human activities include trapping turtles for food and the pet industry; both are serious problems in Illinois. Other turtles are lost due to habitat destruction from urban and farmland development, being killed by auto traffic, drowning after being caught on fishing hooks or nets, and being shot when used for target practice.

^{Eastern box turtle, Terrapene carolina: Found in the southern half of Illinois and likes berries and fungi; Hatchlings come out in September; Can live close to 100 years; Status: Common; UofI-EBT; IDNR-EBT}

For more information on turtles in Illinois, take a look at our blog pictures or the following websites. Tips for handling wild turtles in Illinois can be found at Wildlife-Illinois. An educational poster of all Illinois turtle species is available from Illinois IDNR at Wild-About-Turtles. Click on UofI-xx or IDNR-xx links with each picture to learn more.

^{Eastern mud turtle, Kinosternon subrubrum: Lives in bottomland forests along rivers and streams in the southern one-third of Illinois; Status: Common; UofI-EMT; IDNR-EMT}

^{Northern map turtle, Graptemys geographica: Prefers slow moving backwater in rivers and lakes; A shy turtle that will dive into water at the slightest provocation; Status: Common; UofI-NMT; IDNR-NMT}

^{False map turtle, Graptemys pseudogeographica: Likes slow moving water with muddy bottoms and lots of basking opportunities; A very shy turtle that will dive into the water at the first sign of disturbance; Status: Common especially along the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers; UofI-FMT; IDNR-FMT}

^{Painted turtle; Chrysemys picta: Likes shallow, weedy wetlands; Often observed basking quietly in large numbers on logs along shorelines and in shallow water areas; Status: Common; UofI-PT; IDNR-PT}

^{Ouachita map turtle, Graptemys ouachitensis: Lives in}
^{rivers with sandy or gravelly bottoms; Often found in}
^{large groups basking in the sun on logs along river}
^{banks; Status: Common, especially along the Illinois}
^{and Wabash Rivers; UofI-OMT; IDNR-OMT}

^{Red-eared Slider, Trachemys scripta: Lives in quiet waters}
^{with lots of vegetation and muddy bottoms; Status: Common; UofI-ST; IDNR-ST}

^{Spiny softshell turtle, Apalone spinifera: Lives in still waters with sand bars or mud bars; Readily bites when disturbed, delivering a painful wound from sharp-edged jaws; Status: Common; UofI-SpST; IDNR-SpST}

^{River cooter, Pseudemys concinna: Likes slow}
^{moving backwaters from large rivers and reservoirs;}
^{Status: State endangered; UofI-RCT; IDNR-RCT}

^{Smooth softshell turtle, Apalone mutica: Live in clean rivers with sandy bottoms; Their leathery skin, lacking, scutes make them appear as a flat pancake laying on the sand; Status: State threatened; UofI-SmST; IDNR-SmST}

^{Snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina: Likes any wetland; aggressive on land, but calm in the water; heavily exploited for human food; Weighs up to 85 pounds; Status: Common; UofI-SnT; IDNR-SnT}

^{Yellow mud turtle, Kinosternon flavescens: A small turtle found only along the Illinois and Mississippi river corridors; most of its habitat has been destroyed by locks and dams or agricultural conversion; Status: State endangered; UofI-YMT; IDNR-YMT}

^{Ornate box turtle, Terrapene ornata: Found
in prairies or open fields and lives up to
30 years; Status: State threatened;
UofI-OBT; IDNR-OBT}

^{Spotted turtle; Clemmys guttata: Likes shallow wetlands found in or adjacent to prairie; A small turtle found only in the northeastern corner of the state; Status: State endangered; UofI-SpT; IDNR-SpT}

To learn more about the following species or topics, click on the name to link to a previous blog:

Illinois Nature Symbols

Buttonbush

Over the past several days, there has been a lot of activity in our backyard pollinator garden in the area surrounding the buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis. This native shrub is a multi-stemmed flowering species that can grow from 3′ to more than 12′ tall. It needs lots of sunshine and prefers moist soils. Found in many habitats including sub-tropical swamps, shrub swamps in the northeast and upper Midwest, and southern and northern floodplain forests east of the Mississippi, this species prefers swampy backwater areas, marshes, wet meadow and bogs.

^{Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis, whorled leaves by loonyhiker, Oct 2010}

Newer stems are green, but quickly turn dark brown to almost black, becoming scaly with age. Leaves are opposite or whorled around the stem, each one protruding at a slightly different angle than the one above. It is thought that this arrangement provides maximum exposure of the plant’s total leaf surface to the sun.

^{Buttonbush flowers by DonArnold, Jul 2023}

^{Bumblebee on buttonbush by DonArnold, Jul 2023}

The flower clusters appear as small balls between 1/2″ and 1″ in diameter, with over 200 spikes poking outward covering their entire surface. Each spike is actually an individual flower. Flowers are closely grouped together and exude an intense, sweet fragrance. The plant reproduces through a two-stage cycle where pollen is produced and falls onto the immature pistil. As visiting insects brush through the closely grouped flowers, pollen rubs off onto their bodies. Once the pollen is gone, the pistil matures and becomes sticky at the end. As other insects arrive, pollen from other plants is picked up by the sticky end to pollinate the plant.

After pollination is complete, and the flowers drop off the plant, the ball-shaped seedhead turns completely brown. Unless it is brushed off by a passing animal or it is eaten, the seedhead may remain with the plant through the entire winter season, dropping off in spring. Seeds will often disperse into wetland areas, floating to shore. Each seed ball contains two nutlets.

^{Red Admiral butterfly on buttonbush by DonArnold, Jul 2023; Honney bee on buttonbush by DonArnold, Jul 2023; Long-tongued tiger swallowtail on buttonbush by Owen Sholes, Getty Images}

Pollinators include many long-tongued insect species especially bumblebees, honey bees, tiger swallowtail butterflies and black swallowtail butterflies. In addition, over two dozen bird species utilize the shrub for food, shelter, and nest building material – most notably are wood ducks that use the plant’s structure to shelter their young. Amphibians and reptiles hide among clusters of buttonbush in wetland areas for protection during the breeding season. Several honey-producing bee species are attracted to its pollen and nectar.

^{Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis, by NC Wetlands, Aug 2018}

With more than a dozen buttonbush species worldwide, it is an easy plant find and get close to for observing its flowers and fruits, as well as the behaviors of the many animal species that frequent this shrub.

Duck Potato Salad

Walking around a freshwater marsh, we can observe dozens of plants and animals. Daily sunlight provides hours of energy, but it is only usable by the plants, which create their own food in a process called photosynthesis. Plants may be fully submerged, floating, or living above the water’s surface, but all are vital components of the food supply.

^{Marsh panorama by Beyond_Invisible, Getty Images}

Just as animals breathe, plants also need to exchange gases, taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Plants living in a marsh, where they are fully or partially saturated with water, have developed several strategies for the gas exchange process. Spongy tissue is a universal adaptation of marsh plants. Both stems and leaves contain large airspaces surrounding food producing cells which are well distributed throughout the plant. Airspaces also keep the plants lightweight and enable stems, leaves and flowers to float on or reach above the water’s surface.

Floating wisps of green algae are primitive plants that have been on earth for over two billion years and are the basic food source for all life in the marsh. Millions of microscopic animals, crustaceans, insects, and small fish depend directly on green algae for their food. Green algae lack stems, leaves and flowers, but grow as long chains of nearly identical cells. Some algae are microscopic, some can be easily observed as green strands on or below the water’s surface and some grow to several hundred feet in length.

^{Duckweed forest pond by Sunsju, Aug 2019}

Duckweeds refer to a group of tiny, flowering plants that float on the surface of wetland areas. They reproduce by dividing their cells. This is a rapid process taking from 16 to 48 hours. In optimal growing conditions, with plenty of sunlight and nutrients available, the surface area of a pond can be covered in a very short period of time. Several species of pond plants grow long, narrow leaves with soft, nourishing cells providing a easy-to-eat and tasty treat for marsh dwellers. With large airspaces, these plants are able to stay afloat no matter how long they grow.

^{Spatterdock by Kirill Ignatyev, Jul 2011}

Plants with floating leaves, such as spatterdock, must have a method for preventing excess water from entering leaves and stems when they exchange gases. Plants have stomata, openings in the leaf where gases are exchanged. In terrestrial plants, stomata are located on the undersides of leaves to prevent rain from entering the opening. Floating leaves have stomata on the upper side of the leaf, providing far less exposure to water.

^{Water marigold by Gennady Alexandrov, May 2014}

Water marigold has two types of leaves, one that grows on the stem above the water’s surface and another that grows on the submerged stems. Leaves growing in air take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen through their stomata. Submerged leaves have very thin cell walls and exchange the same gases directly with the water surrounding them.

^{Arrowhead with bulb, -duck potato’, lower right, by Andriy Nekrasov, Getty Images}

Arrowhead is firmly anchored in the bottom of ponds, and has stems, leaves, and flowers growing above the surface. It reproduces by both seeds grown from pollinated flowers and bulbs grown on submerged stems. Bulbs remain submerged, attached to the stem and grow until they are mature enough to anchor themselves in the bottom silt and start another plant. While growing, the bulbs are very tasty and are a favorite food of many duck species, earning the nickname duck potatoes.

^{Wild celery, Vallisneria americana, by Schizoform, Jun 2022}

Wild celery produces both male and female flowers. Female flowers are attached to long stems that float on the water’s surface. Male flowers break off underwater and float to the surface unattached, where they are blown around until they meet a female flower, transferring pollen by contact. The pollinated flower coils downward back under the surface where the seeds develop and are released into the water to start a new plant wherever they land on the silt bottom.

Marsh plants come in many forms and each is well adapted to the unique conditions of the habitat in which they live.