ANIMAL: Spotted Turtle Clemmys guttata Type of Animal: Turtle Habitat: Shallow slow-moving freshwater/brackish areas or nearby: bogs, marshes, swamps, wet meadows, woodland/forest streams & brooks, permanent/seasonal pools, ponds, fens, wet pastures, flooded forests, ditches, muddy streams, sphagnum seepages, Carolina bays, coastal plains, wet prairies, open fields, forests/woodlands near wetlands, roadsides, needs aquatic vegetation/soft substrate Location(s): Found in S Ontario & Quebec as well as E US in E Great Lakes & E of Appalachians Appearance: Gray to black base color, smooth carapace (upper shell), mostly black w/ spots (though not always visible), plastron (bottom shell) yellow or orange-yellow w/ black spot on each scute, become darker w/ age, black head w/ orange blotch on each side, skin on dorsal side black w/ yellow spots, skin on ventral side orange, pink, or red, females more spotted than males & bigger, males have tan chin, brown eyes, & long thick tail, females have yellow chin w/ orange eyes/shorter tail, males have concave plastron, females have flat/convex plastron, northern individuals have more conspicuous spots Food/Diet: Insects, insect larvae, worms, frogs, salamanders, crabs, crayfish, aquatic plants (especially duckweed & those of Azolla genus but others as well), green algae, snails, fruit, berries, millipedes, spiders, small fish, carrion, leaves, water lily seeds, amphibian eggs/larvae, greens, baby mice, slugs, shrimp, prawns Status in Wild: Endangered Conservation: Breeding from zoos, aquariums, & private breeders. Reintroduction into areas of range where scarce. Lifestyle: Often found in groups of 10-15 turtles. Additional Info: Called: Male Female Young-Hatchling Group-Bale Weight: Male-3-6 oz Female-4-8 oz Young-0.14-0.2 oz Gestation: 2.5 months Life Span: 30-40 years in wild, 60 years in captivity Body Length: Male-3.5 in Female-4.5 in Young-0.9-1 in Main predators are alligators, foxes, owls, coyotes, wolves, otters, crows, raccoons, muskrats, mink, snapping turtles, snakes, skunks, eagles, bears, dogs, rats, bobcats, & large predatory fish. Endangered due to pet trade, water pollution, habitat loss, road mortality, & agriculture. Sexually mature at 7-14 years. Like many reptiles, cooler incubation temps produce males & higher ones produce females. They breed in the Spring. Fun Fact(s): Females able to store sperm for up to 5 years. They hibernate during cold and overly hot periods. Females travel long distances to find suitable nesting sites.
