The spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata ), the only species of the genus Clemmys, is a small, semi-aquatic turtle that reaches a carapace length of 8–12 cm (3.1–4.7 in) upon adulthood. Their broad, smooth, low dark-colored upper shell, or carapace, ranges in its exact colour from black to a bluish black with a number of tiny yellow round spots. The spotting patterning extends from the head, to the neck and out onto the limbs. Sexually mature males have a concave plastron and a long, thick tail. By contrast, sexually mature females possess a flat plastron and have a tail notable shorter and thinner than mature males. Mature males also have a dark iris and face; females typically have a yellow or orange iris and a similarly coloured face that is distinctly lighter than males. Juveniles appear female-like in this regard and at maturity males begin to develop darker features.
Spotted turtles are aquatic omnivores that inhabit a variety of semi-aquatic or in other words, shallow, fresh-water areas such as flooded forests, marshes, wet meadows, bogs and woodland streams in southern Canada (Ontario) and the eastern US: the eastern Great Lakes and east of the Appalachian Mountains.
Di
DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
Om
OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
Se
SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
Pr
PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
Pr
PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Bu
BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Ge
Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
No
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
Hi
HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
Aestivation is a state of animal dormancy, similar to hibernation, although taking place in the summer rather than the winter. Aestivation is chara...
S
starts withThe Spotted turtle is a small, semi-aquatic turtle found in North America. Its upper shell (carapace) is smooth and does not have a central ridge running down the middle (called a "keel"). It is also totally black in color and contains anywhere from zero to about one hundred yellow spots, which are a defining characteristic of this turtle. The bottom shell (plastron) is yellow or orange-yellow and a black spot is present on each section (scute); however, with age, melanism of the plastron increases until the entire surface is black. On each side of the head there is a large orange blotch. Skin on the dorsal side of the turtle is black with sparse yellow spots while skin on the ventral side may be brighter: orange, pink, or red. These lightly pigmented areas do vary geographically and the tail of some individuals has yellow striping.
Spotted turtles range from southern Maine, Quebec, and Ontario, south along the eastern US to Florida in the east and central Indiana and Ohio in the west. Disjunct populations exist in the Canadian portion of their range and also in central Illinois, central Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Indiana. Spotted turtles inhabit swamps, bogs, fens, marshes, woodland streams, and wet pastures. Also, brackish streams that are influenced by tides can also serve as a home to these turtles in addition to ditches, vernal pools, and sedge meadows. Preferred habitat includes shallow and slow-moving waters with soft muddy soil, sedge tussocks, water lilies, sphagnum moss, and cattails.
Spotted turtles are semi-aquatic creatures. They can be decidedly terrestrial, spending a good amount of time on land and sometimes basking on patches of grass near their body of water. During the nesting periods, the females travel onto land and lay eggs on sunny soil. In winter and in hot summer, Spotted turtles become inactive during environmentally unfavorable conditions. However, they may be quite tolerant of drought conditions. Spotted turtles do become active very early in the spring, and are often active at relatively cold water temperatures during that season. Activity usually peaks during April and May in the northern part of the range. In the warmest part of the summer (when water temperatures exceed 30 °C), they may aestivate on land or in the water for long periods of time. During summer dormancy, the turtles may burrow into leaf litter in woodlands or marsh edges or open fields; others remain in muskrat burrows or other aquatic refuges. Spotted turtles are generally solitary, however, they can be seen in small groups when basking or in good feeding areas and usually hibernate communally. These turtles are active hunters and search for prey in the water by pointing their heads into aquatic plants. They eat exclusively in the water. Due to their size, these small turtles are highly vulnerable to predation, particularly during their frequent terrestrial wanderings and many of them have mutilation injuries and scars from past predation attempts. When sensing danger or surprised while basking they dive into the water and bury themselves in the bottom mud.
Spotted turtles are omnivores. They eat plant material including aquatic vegetation, green algae, and in at least one instance, wild cranberries. Animal food includes aquatic insect larvae, worms, slugs, millipedes, spiders, crustaceans, tadpoles, salamanders, and small fish.
Spotted turtles breed between March and May. Females lay 3-7 eggs in a nest which they dig in moist soil or san usually in a sunny location. The young hatch about 11 weeks later; they are able to care for themselves at birth and become reproductively mature between 7 and 15 years of age.
Habitat destruction and alteration, illegal collection for the pet trade, and other human impacts such as vehicle mortality (cars and mowers) are the main threats to Spotted turtles. They are also very sensitive to pollution of the water bodies where they feed and spend most of their time.
There is no overall population estimate available for the Spotted turtle. According to IUCN Red List, this species occurs in small localized populations and these population sizes range from 30-1,205 individuals. According to Wikipedia resource, the total population size of the Spotted turtle in Canada is approximately 1,000-2,000 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
