Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Indiana Department of Natural Resources Official Indiana Department of Natural Resources page. Commenting policy: on.IN.gov/dnrsocial.

Official page for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources managed by DNR Division of Communications. Please abide by the commenting policy at https://www.in.gov/dnr/communications/social-media-policy/
Calendar of Events, see calendar.dnr.IN.gov.

HABITAT MANAGEMENT: This week, we’ll be highlighting some of the ways that the Indiana DNR Division of Nature Preserves ...
09/13/2026

HABITAT MANAGEMENT: This week, we’ll be highlighting some of the ways that the Indiana DNR Division of Nature Preserves manages high-quality habitats. Our staff, which consists of ecologists, laborers, and intermittent employees, use a combination of tools and methods to keep Indiana’s nature preserves healthy and diverse. These activities include vegetation management, occasional hydrologic modifications, and native plant installations.

Indiana has more than 300 dedicated nature preserves and they protect a variety of habitats. These sites require habitat management activities, but methods can vary per property. For example, prairies require prescribed fires for management while bogs may only need occasional invasive plant control.

More information about Indiana’s dedicated nature preserves can be found at dnr.IN.gov/nature-preserves.

Top photo: Indiana DNR ecologist uses the Marsh Master in a wetland habitats to apply herbicides. Bottom left photo: Ecologist uses a drip torch to implement a prescribed fire at German Methodist Cemetery Prairie NP. Bottom middle photo: Indiana DNR NP staff after implementing prescribed fire at Springfield Fen NP. Bottom right photo: Indiana DNR NP staff at prescribed fire at Springfield Fen Nature Preserve.

SPOTTED TURTLE AND BLANDING'S TURTLE: Spotted turtles and Blanding’s turtles are two state endangered species that can b...
09/12/2026

SPOTTED TURTLE AND BLANDING'S TURTLE: Spotted turtles and Blanding’s turtles are two state endangered species that can be found in northern Indiana’s lakes and wetlands. Both have dark shells with light spots or fleck markings, but Blanding’s turtles are larger and can be quickly identified by their bright yellow chin and throat and their large, helmet-like domed shell. Spotted turtles are small and reach only about four inches in shell length. They have distinct yellow or orange spots on the shell and head and, in Indiana, tend to live in smaller and more shallow wetlands.

Spotted turtles are the rarer of these two species in Indiana. Because of their small size and beautiful shell pattern they are sometimes illegally collected and sold in the pet trade. Both species have been negatively impacted by the loss of habitat but continue to persist where suitable wetlands remain on public and private lands.

Learn about Indiana amphibians and reptiles at on.IN.gov/amphibians-and-reptiles or at the link in our bio.

Photo 1: Spotted turtle, photo 2: Spotted turtle baby, photo 3: Blanding's turtle, photo 4: Blanding's turtle.

EASTERN BOX TURTLE AND ORNATE BOX TURTLE: Indiana is home to two species of box turtles: the eastern box turtle and the ...
09/12/2026

EASTERN BOX TURTLE AND ORNATE BOX TURTLE: Indiana is home to two species of box turtles: the eastern box turtle and the ornate box turtle. Eastern box turtles live in forested habitats and can be found across most of Indiana. Ornate box turtles are a species of the Great Plains that occur in a small portion of northwestern Indiana that historically contained prairie and savanna ecosystems.

Both species live on land and have distinctly dome-shaped shells and yellow to orange markings on the shell and body. However, ornate box turtles usually have radiating lines on the top of their shell (the “carapace”), while eastern box turtles have a more blotched pattern. Ornate box turtles also have more intricate markings of yellow, cream, and brown on the underside of their shell (the “plastron”). These features can help distinguish between these two similar-looking turtles.

Ornate box turtles are state endangered and have become very rare in Indiana. Most remaining populations are in remnant prairie habitats in the northwest region of the state. Eastern box turtles are a species of special concern but may be locally common in large tracts of forest and may be seen crossing roads following warm summer rains.

Learn about Indiana amphibians and reptiles at on.IN.gov/amphibians-and-reptiles or at our link in the bio.

Photo 1: Eastern box turtle eating a mushroom, photo 2: Eastern box turtle plastrons, photo 3: Ornate box turtle, photo 4: Ornate box turtle plastron.

Clean, Drain, Dry. Help prevent aquatic hitchhikers and protect Indiana's waterways. Zebra mussels, hydrilla and other a...
09/11/2026

Clean, Drain, Dry. Help prevent aquatic hitchhikers and protect Indiana's waterways. Zebra mussels, hydrilla and other aquatic invasive species can hurt native plants and wildlife and harm human health, businesses and the environment. They get here when hitchhiking on tires, boat hulls and motors, hikers’ boots and more. Help keep Hoosier waterways

When leaving a body of water, remember to:
• CLEAN your boat, trailer, and gear after every trip.
• DRAIN your boat and all equipment completely.
• DRY your boat before launching somewhere new.

Get more AIS info at on.IN.gov/ais

EASTERN MUD TURTLE AND EASTERN MUSK TURTLE: Indiana’s smallest turtles include the Eastern Mud Turtle and Eastern Musk T...
09/11/2026

EASTERN MUD TURTLE AND EASTERN MUSK TURTLE: Indiana’s smallest turtles include the Eastern Mud Turtle and Eastern Musk Turtle. Both species have small domed shells and reach about four inches in length. Musk turtles occur over most of Indiana in lakes and wetlands, but mud turtles are exceptionally rare and are currently know from just one southwestern Indiana location. These two small turtles can be distinguished by examining the bottom of their shells. The section of the shell called the “pectoral scute” (marked in red below) is more triangular in mud turtles, and more square-shaped in musk turtles. Musk turtles also tend to have soft tissue between the segments on the underside of the shell.

Eastern mud turtles inhabit wetland and ditches are state endangered and are very secretive. If you have found a mud turtle we’d love to hear about it. Photos and location information can be sent to the DNR herpetologist at [email protected].

Learn about Indiana wildlife at on.IN.gov/animals.

Photo 1: Eastern mud turtle by Kevin Greene, photo 2: Eastern mud turtle plastron, photo 3: Eastern musk turtle, photo 4: Eastern musk turtle plastron.

Enjoy some live blues music, get your fossils and rocks identified or hike the Discovery Trail, Sept. 12-13. Find more I...
09/10/2026

Enjoy some live blues music, get your fossils and rocks identified or hike the Discovery Trail, Sept. 12-13. Find more Indiana DNR activities at
Sat., Sept. 12
• Andersontown Powwow, Mounds State Park, 10a ET, https://ow.ly/8oTh50ZJBc8
• Arts, Blues, and BBQ, McCormick's Creek State Park 11a ET, https://ow.ly/GOCy50ZJBc4
Sun., Sept. 13
• Artifact, Rock and Fossil ID Day, The Archaeological Research Institute - ARI, Inc, Lawrenceburg, 9:30a ET, https://ow.ly/71o250ZJBc5
• Terrific Trees, Pokagon State Park, 2p ET, https://ow.ly/cQxM50ZJBc7

NORTHERN MAP TURTLE, OUACHITA MAP TURTLE, FALSE MAP TURTLES: Map turtles get their name from the intricate patterns on t...
09/10/2026

NORTHERN MAP TURTLE, OUACHITA MAP TURTLE, FALSE MAP TURTLES: Map turtles get their name from the intricate patterns on their shells that resemble the lines on a topographic map. They often have a central ridge running down the top of the shell, like a tent, with some having distinct dark “knobs” along that ridge.

Indiana is home to three species of map turtles that are all greenish in color, have distinct yellow lines on their bodies, and look very similar. The best way to identify these tricky species is to check the markings on their heads:

🐢 Northern map turtles have one light spot behind each eye (photo 1, 2)
🐢 Ouachita map turtles have a spot behind the eye, one below the eye, and one below the jaw (photo 3, 4)
🐢 False map turtles have “L” shaped marks behind each eye, like the shape of a golf putter (photo 5, 6)

Northern map turtles occur in lakes and rivers across the state, while Ouachita map turtles are common in southern Indiana’s rivers. False map turtles are the rarest of the three and listed as a species of special concern. Biologists are currently working to understand the range of this uncommon species, which appears to inhabit the lower Wabash and White River systems of southern Indiana.

Help Indiana's endangered wildlife by donating to the Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund: endangeredwildlife.IN.gov.

Learn how the Indiana DNR Division of Forestry manages our state forests at open houses throughout Indiana, Sept. 29, 30...
09/09/2026

Learn how the Indiana DNR Division of Forestry manages our state forests at open houses throughout Indiana, Sept. 29, 30, or Oct. 1. DNR foresters will be on-hand discussing outdoor recreation opportunities and forest health at each property. You can also talk to foresters, get information and share feedback with them.

Open houses will take place on Sept. 29, 30, or Oct. 1 between 4-7p at Clark, Ferdinand, Greene-Sullivan, Harrison-Crawford, Jackson-Washington, Martin, Morgan-Monroe and Owen-Putnam state forests. A guided hike will be offered at 5p.

Get all open house details including date, time and location at https://ow.ly/xAsX50ZL3bI

COMMON SNAPPING TURTLE AND ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLE: The common snapping turtle is one of our state’s largest turtles, ...
09/09/2026

COMMON SNAPPING TURTLE AND ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLE: The common snapping turtle is one of our state’s largest turtles, reaching up to 16 or more inches in shell length. Their long spikey tails, chunky bodies, and feisty attitudes make them easy to identify in the field. Historically, southwestern Indiana was home to a second, much larger snapping turtle—the alligator snapping turtle. These two species are often confused for each other, but alligator snapping turtles have a much larger head, a distinctly hooked beak, and three rows of spikes running down their shell. Alligator snappers also have small spikey pieces of skin called “tubercles” around their eyes, and common snapping turtles to not.

Alligator snapping turtles are a southern species that once existed on the northern edge of their range in southwestern Indiana and were probably never common or widespread in the state. Recent efforts to locate alligator snapping turtles unfortunately did not find any. The species could still be lurking in southern Indiana’s swamps, but there are currently no known alligator snapping turtle populations in the state.

Learn more about Indiana amphibians and reptiles at on.IN.gov/amphibians-and-reptiles.

Photo 1: Alligator snapping turtle, photo 2: alligator snapping turtle, photo 3: common snapping turtle, photo 4: common snapping turtle.

Wild Foods! Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a small understory tree that produces the largest edible fruit in Indiana! Their...
09/08/2026

Wild Foods! Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a small understory tree that produces the largest edible fruit in Indiana! Their fruits ripen in late summer/early fall and are beloved for their sweet flavor and soft, custard-like texture. Though the tree is very common, the fruits can be hard to find. Trees must be pollinated by a genetically different individual, which can be difficult when they tend to grow in clonal patches. Pawpaw trees also fruit best when they are exposed to partial sunlight, which is not easy to come by in a closed-canopy forest. If a tree does have the resources to produce fruit the race is on for the raccoons, opossums, and squirrels that love to eat pawpaws as much as we do! Want to get more nifty tips about pawpaws, trees and Indiana state forests, follow Indiana DNR Division of Forestry.

Learn more about the pawpaw at https://ow.ly/sgNU50WRq29

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Indianapolis, IN
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