Summary

Did you know?

Some wood turtles are accomplished "worm stompers"; turtles stomp the ground with their front feet or the front of their shell, which can cause earthworms to move to the surface. Any worm that surfaces is a meal for the turtle.

State Ranking Justification

Although over 100 occurrences are likely to exist, this species is not typically found in numbers and the size of many of these occurrences is unknown. There are some notable threats (see Conservation and Management section) and the species is state listed as Special Concern.

Short-term Trends

This species is known to be declining in adjacent and nearby states and presumed to be declining in New York as well.

Long-term Trends

Long-term data is not available for New York, but wood turtle populations are thought to be declining throughout their range, likely over 50% within the last 100 years (van Dijk and Harding 2011).

Conservation and Management

Threats

Threats include habitat destruction and alteration, road mortality, predation, and agricultural practices and machinery (Ernst and Lovich 2009, Saumure et al. 2006). Human recreation and disturbance are also threats to wood turtle populations and can lead to declines through collection, increased predation, and increased road mortality (Garber and Burger 1995).

Conservation Strategies and Management Practices

There are several conservation strategies that could accomplish better protection and outcomes for wood turtle populations. Wildlife underpasses or culverts combined with roadside fencing could help to reduce road mortality (van Dijk and Harding 2011, Ernst and Lovich 2009). Consideration should be given to wood turtle habitat in land management practices, such as placing a buffer around riparian habitat and raising the height of agricultural mower blades (Saumure et al. 2006). Ideally, mower blade heights should be kept higher than 100 mm from the soil when cropping hayfields, and a buffer of at least 10 meters should be left around the edge, during a first harvest. Buffers should also be created between agricultural fields and suitable riparian habitat to avoid fertilizer and pesticide runoff into streams and rivers (Mitchell et al. 2006). Intense development or disturbance along suitable streams should be avoided. Motorized vehicles, including ATVs, should be restricted from stream channels to avoid siltation, pollution, and disturbance (Mitchell et al. 2006). Enforcing regulations against collection of animals from the wild and reducing the availability of recreation opportunities in areas with large wood turtle populations could reduce the loss of the adults from the population (Garber and Burger 1995). Educating the public on the status of wood turtles and the regulations on collection and harming this species would be beneficial.

Research Needs

Research into New York specific habitat use, population locations, and home range size is needed, as well as population size and monitoring information. Information on population connectivity and barriers to movement would be useful. Research is also needed on how human use patterns impact populations, specifically predation (NatureServe 2017). Other research needs include studies on the male and female reproductive cycles (Ernst and Lovich 2009), and additional measures to minimize accidental mortality.

Habitat

Habitat

Wood turtles, while never far from water, utilize a variety of habitats throughout the year. These turtles prefer to spend their time in clear, flowing streams and rivers or in the habitats surrounding them such as woodlands, meadows, and forest edges (Ernst and Lovich 2009). Generally, wood turtles prefer water bodies with hard sand or gravel bottoms, although this varies geographically. Turtles in Virginia and Pennsylvania have been found in streams with clay substrate (NatureServe 2017). One study conducted in Rensselaer Couny, NY found that wood turtles were most often encountered in creeks and floodplains with clear water, and a firm, rocky substrate (Hoffman as cited in Chaloux et al. 2010). Other indicators of suitable habitat were low gradient, little tree cover, vegetative structure in the sides of the creek channel, and areas with diverse ecotones along forest edges. In the eastern portion of their range, these turtles spend less time in water than they do in the west and are more terrestrial during the summer. In central Pennsylvania, wood turtles spend the spring in alder thickets and the summer in hemlock forests foraging for mushrooms (Ernst and Lovich 2009). The study in Rensselaer County had a high encounter rate within open floodplains in and near creeks and wetlands during May and June (Hoffman as cited in Chaloux et al. 2010), while a study in Orange County found that wood turtles migrated farther from the water in the summer. In the winter, wood turtles are found near or within streams that have flowing water all winter, with the exact areas mostly dependent on the habitat structure (NatureServe 2017). They will hibernate on the bank, within roots and branches in streams, among submerged rocks or trees, or along the bottom of the stream. Openings within forested areas where herbaceous plants grow are used for feeding and basking, and nesting occurs in areas with loose substrate in sunny areas such as sandy stream banks or sand-gravel bars within streams. Wood turtles have also been found nesting in man-made nesting habitats, such as gravel pits, open road shoulders, and yards.

Range

New York State Distribution

This species is found throughout the state with the exception of Long Island.

Global Distribution

Wood turtles occur throughout eastern North America. Populations exist from Nova Scotia, Quebec, and New Brunswick south to Virginia and west to eastern Minnesota and northeastern Iowa (Ernst and Lovich 2009).

Best Places to See

• (Orange, Ulster Counties)

Identification Comments

Identifying Characteristics

This large turtle has a black or brown carapace (upper shell) ranging from 5.5 to 8 inches (14-20 cm) in adults (Gibbs et al. 2007). The carapace is somewhat flattened, but highly sculptured with a slight keel. The plastron (lower shell) is mostly yellow with large black blotches along the outer edges and along the bridge. The skin of a wood turtle is dark brown or black with yellow, orange, or red under the chin, throat, tail, and under the forelimbs. Hatchlings average 26.6-34 mm carapace length (CL) (Harding and Bloomer 1979, Lovich et al. 1990) and have a tail that may be as long as the carapace.

Characters Most Useful for Identification

The yellow, orange, or red coloration under the chin, throat, tail, and under the forelimbs is a useful characteristic for identification (Gibbs et al. 2007). The highly sculptured shell is also a good diagnostic characteristic.

Best Life Stage for Proper Identification

Adults and juveniles are similar in appearance and can be identified by their coloration and shell shape.

Behavior

Wood turtles are mostly diurnal, and often enter the water or seek shelter on land under grass, leaves, or brush at night (Ernst and Lovich 2009). These turtles hibernate in the winter between approximately October and March, and may estivate during the warmest days in the summer.

Diet

Wood turtles are omnivores; their diet varies seasonally, and consists of invertebrates, plants, fruits, and carrion. Plant material, earthworms, and slugs may be their most important food sources.

Best Time to See

In general, the species enters hibernation in early October and leaves by late March (Reilly 1958). The best time to find wood turtles in New York is in the early spring when wood turtles spend their time in and along creeks (Chaloux et al. 2010).

Similar Species

• Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) (guide)
  Blanding's turtles may be found in association with wood turtles and have a yellow chin and throat, but Blanding's turtles have a smooth carapace and a hinged plastron (Ernst and Lovich 2009).
• Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)
  The eastern box turtle is a terrestrial turtle, but is smaller than the wood turtle, with a domed carapace, and a hinged plastron (Ernst and Lovich 2009).

Wood Turtle Images

Taxonomy

Wood Turtle
Glyptemys insculpta (Le Conte, 1830)

• Kingdom Animalia
  • Phylum Craniata
    • Class Chelonia (Turtles)
      • Order Testudines (Turtles)
        • Family Emydidae (Box Turtles and Pond Turtles)

Synonyms

• Clemmys insculpta (Le Conte, 1830)

Additional Resources

References

Chaloux, A.M., J.W. Jaycox, J.D. Corser, M.D. Schlesinger, H.Y. Shaw, and E.M. Spencer. 2010. Surveying for New York's high-priority reptiles and amphibians: implications for standardized protocols. Final report. New York Natural Heritage Program. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, NY. 2 volumes. 261 pp. plus appendices.

Division of Fish and Wildlife. No date. New York Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Project Database. Wildlife Resources Center. Delmar, NY.

Ernst. C. H., and J. E. Lovich. 2009. Turtles of the United States and Canada. Second edition, revised and updated. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland. xii + 827 pp.

Garber, S. D., and J. Burger. 1995. A 20-yr study documenting the relationship between turtle decline and human recreation. Ecological Applications 5:1151-1162.

Gibbs, J.P., A.R. Breisch, P.K. Ducey, G. Johnson, J.L. Behler, and R.C. Bothner. 2007. The amphibians and reptiles of New York State. Oxford University Press, NY.

Harding, J. H. and T. J. Bloomer. 1979. The wood turtle, Clemmys insculpta...a natural history. HERP Bull. N.Y. Herp. Soc. 15(1): 9-26.

Jones, M. T., L. L. Willey, P. R. Sievert, and T. S. B. Akre. 2015. Status and Conservation of the Wood Turtle in the Northeastern United States. Report submitted to the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies for Regional Conservation Needs Grant2011–02. https://rcngrants.org/sites/default/files/datasets/RCN2011-02v2.pdf

Lovich, J. E., C. H. Ernst, and J. F. McBreen. 1990. Growth, maturity, and sexual dimorphism in the wood turtle, Clemmys insculpta. Can. J. Zool. 68: 672-677.

Mitchell, J.C., A.R. Breisch, and K.A. Buhlmann. 2006. Habitat management guidelines for amphibians and reptiles of the northeastern United States. Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, Technical Publication HMG-3, Montgomery, Alabama. 108 pp.

NatureServe. 2017. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer. (Accessed: June 15, 2017)

New York Natural Heritage Program. 2023. New York Natural Heritage Program Databases. Albany, NY.

Reilly, E.M., Jr. 1958. Turtles of New York. New York State Conservationist.

Saumure, R.A., T.B. Herman, R.D. Titman. 2006. Effects of haying and agricultural practices on a declining species: The North American wood turtle, Glyptemys insculpta. Biological Conservation.

van Dijk, P.P. and Harding, J. 2011. Glyptemys insculpta. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available: www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed: 5/9/2018

Links

• Google Images
• IUCN
• NatureServe Explorer

About This Guide

This guide was authored by: Ashley R. Ballou

Information for this guide was last updated on: September 25, 2019

Please cite this page as:
New York Natural Heritage Program. 2023. Online Conservation Guide for Glyptemys insculpta. Available from: https://guides.nynhp.org/wood-turtle/. Accessed December 8, 2023.