SB2009

Tennessee SB2009 amends the state reptile law to include the bog turtle as an official state reptile.

Tennessee SB2009 amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-1-321, to designate the eastern box turtle and the bog turtle as the official state reptiles. The bill highlights the declining population of bog turtles, which have decreased by at least fifty percent over the past two decades, with fewer than 2,000 remaining. The bog turtle, found in marshy wetlands, faces threats from habitat destruction and poaching. The change aims to increase public awareness and protect the species, which is considered one of the most imperiled turtles on the continent.