Wood Turtle
Basic Information:
Scientific Name: Glyptemys insculpta
Habitat: Wood turtles can be found in the forests, fields, bogs, and wetlands of northeastern United States and southeastern Canada.
Diet: Wood turtles are omnivores and live on a diet of worms, snails, fish, frogs, tadpoles, leaves, mushrooms, and berries.
Size: 0.4 to 0.8 feet long
Weight: 1.5 to 2.5 pounds
Lifespan: 50 to 60 years
Distribution Map:
I.U.C.N. Conservation Status:
What does this mean?
Endangered – a species determined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (I.U.C.N.) to possess a very high risk of extinction as a result of rapid population declines of 50 to more than 70 percent over the previous 10 years (or three generations), a current population size of fewer than 250 individuals, or other factors.
Our Wood Turtle:
Donatella (Female) – Estimated Date of Birth 1987
Did You Know?!
- Unlike other turtle species that favor either land or water, the wood turtle resides in both aquatic and terrestrial environments.
- Wood turtles spend the cold winter months hibernating in fast-flowing streams, emerging to feed on land during warmer months.
- Wood turtles are endangered due to habitat loss, the illegal pet trade, and other modern threats such as cars, and agricultural machinery.
- Wood turtles exhibit a behavior not observed in any other reptile: the worm stomp. This involves stomping their feet and shell on the ground to imitate falling rain or the movement of moles. This tricks worms into coming to the surface where the wood turtle then gets a tasty snack.