Yellow-Blotched Map Turtle

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By Leah Strickman

The yellow-blotched map turtle is a species found only in the Pascagoula River of Mississippi. Despite being referred to as “opportunistic feeders”, a term I strongly identify with, its population has been wiped out by low reproductive patterns, nest mortality, environmental changes, and “turtle plinking”, or shooting for target practice.

While I hope the species makes its way off the endangered species list soon, when making this poster, I aimed to forever preserve the beautiful stripes and markings that identify the yellow-blotched map turtle.  Just like much of nature, the design on their shell is easy to gloss over for many, but to the right set of eyes, an elegant canvas.