Home › Reptilia › Emydidae › Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)
SPECIES PROFILE
Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)
Glyptemys
IUCN STATUS
Endangered
CONSERVATION STATUS
Endangered
CLASS
Reptilia
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Northeastern North America from Nova Scotia to Virginia and west to Michigan and Wisconsin
DIET
Omnivore
HABITAT
Cold, clear streams with forested riparian corridors; uses adjacent upland fields and forests from spring to autumn
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Reptilia
ORDER
Testudines
FAMILY
Emydidae
GENUS
Glyptemys
📋 Description
SIZE
16–23 cm carapace; 0.5–1.0 kg
COLORATION
Rough sculptured carapace resembling stacked pyramids; bright orange to red colouring on the neck and legs; broad head
ADAPTATIONS
One of the most intelligent North American turtles — capable of basic maze learning; uses a stomping behaviour to bring earthworms to the surface
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Cold, clear streams with forested riparian corridors; uses adjacent upland fields and forests from spring to autumn
DIET
Omnivore
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Northeastern North America from Nova Scotia to Virginia and west to Michigan and Wisconsin
REPRODUCTION
3–18 eggs buried in sandy or gravelly stream banks in June; 47–69 day incubation; hatchlings overwinter in the nest
DIET DETAILS
Earthworms, slugs, berries, mushrooms, and plant material; feeds on land as much as in water
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Road mortality; agricultural machinery; collection for the pet trade; nest predation; stream bank erosion
💡 Interesting Facts
1
The Wood Turtle is considered one of the most intelligent turtles in the world — studies have shown it can learn maze tasks at a rate similar to rats and mice.
2
Wood Turtles "worm stomp" — rhythmically vibrating the ground with their front plastron to cause earthworms to surface — an apparent example of tool-like cognitive behaviour.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Connecticut River watershed in central Vermont has Wood Turtles in clean stream corridors with adjacent meadows
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in northern Wisconsin has Wood Turtles in pristine stream habitats
Northern Michigan state forests near Grayling, MI, have Wood Turtles in cold stream systems
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
Spring to autumn. Active April to October along stream corridors in Vermont, New Hampshire, and northern Michigan.
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
May and June along stream banks and adjacent meadows in Vermont's Connecticut River watershed and northern Michigan state forests.
