Common Name:   Wood Turtle

Scientific Name:   Clemmys insculpta

Other Names:  Ole Redlegs

The Wood Turtle lives in deciduous forests and marshy meadows from Nova Scotia south to Northern Virginia.. It is 5 to 9 inches in length with characteristic  pyramidal carapace scute (shell segments)  that are formed by concentric growth ridges.  The plastron (underside of shell) is yellow,  with black blotches along the margin.  The male can be identified in that it has a concave plastron and a thicker tail.

Potpourri:     The Wood Turtle lays its eggs between May and June, the clutch  consisting of 6 to 8 eggs each about one and one half inches in length.  The eggs hatch in  September to October.

The Wood Turtle is an excellent climber, and has been known to climb a  chain link fence.  It subsists on worms,  slugs, insects,  tadpoles and wild fruit.

The Wood Turtle was  a source of food at one time and the species has  been depleted. It is protected in some states.

It  has been known to live for nearly 60 years.