Painted turtle Land Turtles Pennsylvania has both the midland painted and the eastern painted turtle. They are very colorful with bright-yellow spots and strips on the sides of the head, and red markings on the WaterWater TurtlesTurtles edge of their shells. Painted turtles are fond of basking. Snapping turtle This turtle is Pennsylvania's largest turtle. Stinkpot turtle They have long tails and big jaws and can This turtle is Pennsylvania's only musk snap very hard! This turtle's plastron is small. turtle. It is not often seen because it spends It is so small that the turtle cannot pull itself most of its time in the water. If disturbed, into its shell. They like to spend a lot of time this turtle will produce a foul-smelling fluid, in the water and will frequently walk along which is one reason it is called a "stinkpot." the bottom of a lake looking for a meal. This Although it is small, it is said to have a short is a turtle that many people like to catch to temper and strong bite. make turtle soup. During warm days in June, you Map turtle might see snapping turtles This turtle gets its name from the crossing roads and some- random pattern of yellow-orange lines times in backyards, across its upper shell. It gives looking for a place to the appearance of the roads on nest. They are vul- a map. Map turtles like to live in slow- nerable on land, moving waterways or lakes that have a muddy so they often become bottom. It is the first turtle to come out of defensive. Be careful with Map turtle hibernation in the spring in Pennsylvania. these turtles—they bite. Stay a safe distance from a snapping Red-eared slider turtle's head. This turtle is greenish with red stripes ("ears") Painted turtles, such as the midland painted on the sides of its head. This turtle is from turtle (below), are often seen sunning them- the southern United States, not from Pennsyl- selves on a large rock or log. vania. It has come into Pennsylvania by way of pet owners who no longer want them. These people release the sliders into Pennsyl- vania ponds, lakes and streams. Red-eared sliders compete for food, basking areas and nesting sites with other Pennsyl- vania water turtles. It is illegal to release turtles bought in a pet store into Pennsylvania waterways. www.fi sh.state.pa.us Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • September-October 2006 53 LandLand TurtlesTurtles Spotted turtle This small turtle likes to bask on clumps of Eastern box turtle grass and is more often seen during spring This turtle has a high-domed shell and can than during other times. The spotted turtle's be black or brown with yellow, orange, and upper shell is black and is scattered with Water Turtles olive markings. The box turtle has a hinged many round yellow spots. plastron, making it able to pull itself into its Female shell and close up, or "box" up tightly. Box spotted turtle males usually have red eyes. Female turtles box turtle eyes are normally brown. have orange eyes Wood turtle and a yellow "Old red legs" is Pennsylvania's second chin. Male most terrestrial turtle. This nickname comes spotted turtles from its reddish-orange legs, neck, and tail. have brown The spotted turtle (above) is sprinkled with round eyes and a tan chin. This turtle has a beautiful wood-grained look yellow spots that vary to its upper greatly in number from shell. one turtle to another. Although a land turtle, the wood turtle is very much at home in the The wood turtle (left) is very water, seek- much at home both on land ing habitats and in the water. that include marshy meadows and cool streams.

A box turtle’s shell (below) has a high dome.

The eastern box turtle (right) is one of the most common turtles in Pennsylvania.54 Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • September-October 2006 www.fi sh.state.pa.us