The spotted turtle can be found in small, localized populations throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, preferring to swim and feed in shallow bodies of water and bask on logs, stumps, grass mats and tussocks. (Mr. T in DC/Flickr)
Small species rarely exceeds five inches in length
Smooth carapace (shell) is slate gray or black with variable number of bright yellow spots, which can disappear in older turtles
Plastron (underside of shell) is yellow or orange with wide black smudges
Head mostly black with variable number of bright yellow spots and often a large yellow or orange blotch on each side
Legs and tail are black with scattering of yellow spots. Lower surfaces of legs and neck are orange to pink or salmon-red
Males and females differ in size and coloring
Male: brown eyes. Tan, brown or black chin. Longer and thicker tail
Female: orange eyes. Yellow or orange chin. Comparatively narrow tail
Habitat:
Prefer shallow bodies of water, including bogs, marshes, swamps, flooded fields, woodland streams and permanent and seasonal pools and ponds
Basks on logs, stumps, grass mats and tussocks
Wanders on land to travel between wetlands and nest
Moist terrestrial sites also used for late-summer aestivation (dormancy during hot, dry periods) and winter hibernation, although overwintering more often occurs underwater in mud or former muskrat burrows
Occupy limited home range of about one to eight acres
Range:
Populations are often small and isolated
Found in localized populations throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed
One portion of range includes the eastern seaboard of the United States from southern Maine through the eastern portions of Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia and northern Florida \
Second portion of range includes the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States from northeastern Illinois into southern Michigan, northern Indiana, Ohio and western Pennsylvania and across southern Ontario into New York
Feeding:
Feeding begins once spring temperatures reach about 60 degrees Fahrenheit
Feeds on algae, soft aquatic plants, water lily seeds, worms, mollusks, crustaceans, insects and insect larvae, amphibian eggs and larvae and carrion
Predators:
Vulnerable to predation, especially while on land. When startled while basking, will dive into water and bury themselves in mud
Common predators include raccoons and muskrats
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
Reach sexual maturity at seven to 14 years
Courtship and mating occur in March, April and May, when spotted turtles are most likely seen
Male pursues female in wild underwater courtship chase, nipping and biting her legs and carapace and fending off rival males
Nesting occurs from late May through June
Nesting females look for open, sunny locations with moist but well-drained soils. Nests are dug with hind feet. Females lay one clutch of one to eight elliptical eggs each year, although some may lay a second, smaller clutch a few days after the first
Incubation takes 44 to 83 days. Young emerge in August or September. Sex of hatchlings determined by nest temperatures during middle third of incubation period (cooler temperatures produce males, while warmer temperatures produce females)
