Yesterday Gov. Phil Murphy announced New Jersey’s first State Reptile: The Bog Turtle! The turtle was awarded the honor through a lobbying effort by an elementary school class at the Riverside School in Princeton.

According to a story on nj.com, “The bog turtle is both small and colorful. Typically only about four inches long, this is one of the smallest turtles found in North America according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Bog turtles are identified by the iconic orange, yellow or red spots on each side of their head. Most importantly, the bog turtle has been federally listed as threatened since 1997 and has been listed as endangered in New Jersey since 1974 “

While Bog Turtles are not found in the Meadowlands, we’re still proud of our State Reptile!

Read up on the Bog Turtle here