Wood Turtle

I've posted several photos of Eastern Painted turtles and Snapping turtles, the two most abundant turtles in this area, but I had a third specie visit me at our barn.

I found this Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) in the lawn at our barn. Wood turtles use both aquatic and terrestrial habitats at different times of the year and can be found in open meadows, bogs, hay fields and wooded areas, but usually within 1,000 feet of a stream or pond. Wood turtles are omnivorous and opportunistic. They are not picky eaters and will readily consume slugs, worms, tadpoles, insects, algae, wild fruits, leaves, grass and moss.



Wood turtles are listed on the Pennsylvania Herp Identification web site as "Species of special concern" due to declining populations.