Clemmys guttata Spotted Turtle Class: Reptilia. Order: Testudines. Family: Emydidae. Other names:

Physical Description: Small, semi-aquatic, blue-black turtle with round yellow spots on a broad, smooth, low carapace. Size is between 3-5 inches in length, the average being 4 inches. The spotting can extend onto the head, neck, and out onto the limbs, this varying greatly throughout their range and age. They can have no spots or up to 100 spots. Besides the difference in the plastron, females have orange eyes and yellow/orange chins and the males have brown eyes and tan/brown chins. These turtles have been tested and found to have the brain capacity of a mouse.

One of the most unique features of turtles and tortoises is their protective shell. Because of the shell, flight, running, and climbing are not evolutionary options! But some adaptive radiation occurs within the order. Turtles and tortoises inhabit marshes, lakes, rivers and the open sea, as well as forests, grasslands and deserts. The top shell is called the carapace and the bottom shell the plastron. The carapace develops from a layer of skin and the backbone and ribs are fused to the carapace. The plastron is developed from the bones of the shoulder girdle. The shell is so successful that it is the cornerstone of turtle design and lends to the lineage’s longevity, while at the same time limiting species diversity.

Diet in the Wild: Spotted turtles are omnivorous. They enjoy ingesting aquatic and terrestrial insects, worms and other invertebrates, and aquatic plants. They consume all food exclusively in the water. When young, they are mostly carnivorous, but as they age they consume vegetative matter, and then as adults they eat protein-rich foods such as insects, fish, snails, and crustaceans. They have also been recorded as feeding on carrion such as fish and duck.

Diet at the Zoo: Crickets, pinkie mice, mealworms, capelin (small forage fish of the smelt family).

Habitat & Range: Eastern United States and southern Canada from Maine south to northern Florida, west to Michigan and northeastern Illinois. They inhabit a variety of semi-aquatic or shallow fresh water areas such as flooded forests, marches, wet meadows, bogs, and woodland streams. They prefer unpolluted, slow moving shallow waters with a soft bottom substrate and submergent and emergent vegetation. They have been observed wandering over land between wetlands and to nest. Also, moist terrestrial sites are sometimes used for hibernation and aestivation.

Life Span: Most individuals live for at least 25 years. Some may reach 50.

Perils in the wild: Pollution, collection for the pet trade, and habitat loss. Predators are raccoons and muskrats.

Physical Adaptations: Webbed feet with sharp nails in order to swim and climb out onto muddy banks. Sharp beak-like mouth aids in grasping prey and tearing vegetation and other food sources. Camouflaged carapace helps spotted turtles avoid detection by possible predators. 05/2013

Behavioral Adaptations: Spotted turtles are diurnal and may be seen singly or in groups basking in the sun. Like many reptiles, they control their internal body temperature through behavioral thermoregulation, moving in and out of the sun in order to heat and cool their body. Solitary except for breeding season. May be seen in small groups at prime basking sites. Spotted turtles typically enter hibernation in mid-October. They hibernate in shallow water in the mud or in muskrat burrows or lodges. These sites are deep enough to not freeze completely, but are shallow enough to thaw quickly in the spring. Spotted turtles have been found to hibernate in congregations of up to 12 individuals.

Reproduction and Development: Mating begins in March soon after they emerge from hibernation and continues into May. Males actively pursue females, and several males may be seen chasing one female. Copulation is usually under water, but may occur on land. From late May until July the female leaves the breeding pools in search of nesting areas such as open meadow, field, or the edge of the road. Digging begins in the evening, when, using her hind feet and legs, the female digs a nest 2 inches deep and 2 inches in diameter and then lays an average of 3-4 elliptical, white eggs. The female then covers the eggs and smoothes the dirt by dragging her body over the ground. One or two clutches are laid each year; incubation period is 70-83 days. Sex is dependent on incubation temperature, with mostly females at the higher temperatures. The one inch hatchlings emerge and head for wet, grassy areas in search of food and shelter. Sexual maturity is reached in 8-10 years.

Conservation Status: (IUCN Status) Status is assessed as “Endangered” (EN) by the IUCN in 2011. A taxon is endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria for Endangered by the IUCN. It is therefore considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. The spotted turtle is listed as a “Threatened species” in Ohio.

Conservation Efforts: More effort should be expended to document the statewide distribution and population trends of this species. Public education is necessary to inform people that populations are declining and efforts should be made to curb collecting. Habitat and water quality should be monitored in ponds and other water bodies with known populations of spotted turtles. Additional studies of life history and habitat use are needed.

Glossary: List of definitions of the most important recurrent technical terms used in the text.

Aestivation – a form of animal dormancy, similar to hibernation, when the animal lowers its activity and metabolic rate in response to high temperatures and/or arid conditions.

Behavioral thermoregulation - How a reptile may regulate its body temperature by its behavior. By basking in the sun to warm and moving to the shade to escape the heat of the day allows there animals to maintain a relatively stable temperature of 97-102 degrees.

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Carapace - The top shell of a turtle. The carapace develops from a layer of skin and the backbone and ribs are fused to the carapace.

Diurnal – Active during daytime hours.

“Endangered” - A taxon is endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria for Endangered by the IUCN. It is therefore considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

Omnivorous - Feeding on both plants and animals.

Plastron - The lower shell of a turtle, developed from the bones of the shoulder girdle.

Sources: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens http://adoptapond.info/turtles.asp?tr=2 Conant, R. and J. T. Collins. 1998. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Third Edition Expanded. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7150.html Ernst, C.H., J.E. Lovich, and R.W. Barbour. 1994. Turtles of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Inst. Press, Washington, D.C. 578 pp.

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