They are found in the eastern U.S. in spotty places in New York, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and from southern New England to northern Georgia.
They live in open, marshy areas, wet meadows, bogs, and swamps.
They are one of the smallest turtles in North American. Their shell (carapace) is just 3 - 4.5 inches long. It has a large, bright, orange patch on both sides of its head.
They are active during the day when the air is warm (diurnal). As soon as it cools off in the fall, they go to sleep for the winter (hibernation). When they are in danger, they burrow into the mud to hide.
They eat insects, snails, frogs, salamanders, earthworms and berries.
Their only threat is losing their wetland habitats. They may be the rarest turtle in North America.
Females lay 1 - 6 eggs in a nest up on shore in the sun. Babies hatch in 6 – 11 weeks in late summer.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Emydidae
Genus: Clemmys
Species: C. muhlenbergii
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Amsel, Sheri. "Turtle (Bog)" Exploring Nature Educational Resource ©2005-2024. December 14, 2024
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