et ‘em out, let ‘em out 🐢 We released 32 young Blanding’s turtles last week! A central Iowa wetland is now home to 32 of these turtles, part of a joint project to give the threatened species a jump on life. These hatchlings were part of four clutches that were incubated and hatched at Blank Park Zoo, from gravid females found last summer at the wetland. All but five of the hatchlings have been outfitted with a small transmitter. This summer, Iowa State University student techs will be recording

New words alert! Snapping turtles enter “brumation” during the winter, allowing them to survive underwater and ice. “These snappers aren’t frozen, they’re just brumating,” says the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which posted this video of two snapping turtles spotted under the ice in 2025. “It’s kind like hibernating for reptiles.” The turtles absorb oxygen through their skin and cloaca while they’re underwater. The cloaca is a turtle’s version of a butt. “A process called cloacal respira