Wood Turtle
Glyptemys insculpta
Photo: Ltshears · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Found one?
Leave it where it is
It lives its whole life in a small patch of habitat. Watch, take a photo, and let it carry on.
- 01Leave it where it is and give it space.
- 02Report the sighting to your state wildlife agency — every record of this rare turtle helps.
- 03Crossing a road? Carry it across in the direction it was heading.
Stay safe
- Wash your hands after touching any turtle — reptiles commonly carry Salmonella.
Pick your state for the local rules. TIDE covers New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Verifying against GBIF…
Conservation status
IUCN Red ListEndangered globally, State Threatened in New Jersey, and closed to all taking in Pennsylvania.
What Endangered means
Facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
On your plate
Not Typically Eaten
Not food. Taking one is illegal in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Conservation status and seafood sustainability are two different questions. A species can be Least Concern globally and still be overfished, protected or unsustainable where you are.
Habitat
Clear streams with woods and meadows alongside
Range
Northeastern US and southeastern Canada
Size
14–20 cm shell
Diet
Worms, insects, berries, leaves and mushrooms
Lifespan
40 years or more
Group
turtle
Each shell plate rises in a sculpted pyramid of growth rings.
It stamps on the ground to bring earthworms to the surface — 'worm stomping'.
Its neck and legs flush orange-red, earning it the nickname 'redleg'.