Partnering to save endangered animals: New Jersey

We're so excited about the new interactive map highlighting endangered species efforts in each state across the nation. Each day we'll feature a state, partner and animal. Subscribe on the right to keep up!

Turtle collectors covet bog turtles because of their beauty and scarcity. Some people pay hundreds of dollars for one on the black market. On the other hand, some people take actions that harm bog turtles. The Endangered Species Act provides the bog turtle with protection for these sorts of activities. 

One man, even after informed of bog turtle presence and of the harm the tree removal would, damaged bog turtle habitat on his farmland. The land had been improved for bog turtles by a previous owner. Since the work was done, no bog turtles have been documented there. Read more of the story.

An example of the type of habitat where bog turtles can be found.
Credit: Gary Peeples/USFWS

Here are some other stories featured on New Jersey’s page:

• Swamp pink: Swamp pink is a perennial herb in the lily family. It is known to occur in headwater streams and mountain bogs from New Jersey to Georgia.
• Atlantic coast piping plover: Find out how human activities affect this dainty, sand-colored shorebird on both its breeding and wintering grounds.
• Shortnose sturgeon: These large fish may grow up to 4.5 feet in length and weigh over 50 pounds. They are anadromous, living mainly in the slower moving riverine waters or nearshore marine waters, and migrating periodically into faster moving fresh water rivers to spawn.
• Bog turtle: North America's smallest turtle, the bog turtle faces the loss, degradation and fragmentation of its habitat from wetland alteration, development, pollution, invasive species and plant succession.