The Wood Turtle

Unlike other turtles, during the summer months

The Wood Turtle, photo taken from Herp Pictures

the Wood Turtle spends most of its time on land. These turtles are not very common in other areas, so you could say they are one of the area's unique reptiles. They have grey, green, or brown shells with large ridges on them that look like domes, or miniature pyramids. The plastron is yellow. Their skin is a shade of light brown, or green, with orange and yellow markings on the neck and legs. In the spring and fall they can be found near gravel bedded rivers or creeks. In the summer they are found in meadows, floodplains, and open pine and poplar forests with sandy soil.