Spotted Turtle

The spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) is a small freshwater turtle from eastern North America, famous for the bright yellow polka dots on its black shell. Adults are only about 9 to 12.5 cm (3.5 to 5 inches) long, small enough to fit in your hand.

Scientific Classification & Quick Facts

Common name	Spotted turtle
Scientific name	Clemmys guttata
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Testudines
Family	Emydidae
Genus	Clemmys
Conservation status	Endangered
Type	Reptile (small freshwater turtle)
Diet	Tiny worms, snails, spiders and slugs
Habitat	Small water bodies and wet meadows
Size	Shell about 3.5–5 in (9–13 cm) long
Lifespan	At least 25 years; some reach 50
Colours	Black with bright yellow spots

What It Looks Like

The spotted turtle’s smooth upper shell, called the carapace, is black or very dark, sprinkled with round yellow spots. Its head, neck and legs often have yellow or orange spots too. The number of spots varies a lot: hatchlings usually have one spot (or none) on each shell plate, while adults can have many more. A few turtles have hardly any spots at all.

The lower shell, called the plastron, is yellow or orange with large black patches. The skin on the underside of the legs can be orange, pink or reddish.

You can often tell males and females apart:

• Males usually have a tan or brown chin, brown eyes, a longer, thicker tail and a slightly curved-in plastron.
• Females usually have a yellow chin, orange eyes and a flat plastron.

Where Spotted Turtles Live

Spotted turtles live along the eastern side of North America, from southern Maine and the Great Lakes region down the Atlantic coast to northern Florida. They are semi-aquatic, which means they spend time both in water and on land.

They like shallow, clean, slow-moving water with soft, muddy bottoms, such as marshes, bogs, wet meadows, small streams and seasonal woodland pools. They often bask in the sun on logs or grassy hummocks, sometimes alone and sometimes in small groups.

Spotted turtles are one of the first turtles to become active in spring, sometimes while there is still ice nearby. In the heat of summer, many hide in mud or under plants and rest, and they hibernate underwater in winter.

Breeding

Spotted turtles mate mostly in early spring, from about March to May. Males actively chase females, and sometimes several males follow the same female.

In June, the female leaves the water to find a sunny spot with soft soil, such as a field, meadow or the edge of a road. In the evening she digs a small nest with her back feet and lays a small clutch, usually about 3 to 5 eggs. She covers the eggs with soil and then leaves. Sadly, many females are hit by cars as they cross roads looking for nest sites.

The eggs hatch after about 10 to 12 weeks. The warmth of the nest helps decide whether the babies will be male or female. Hatchlings are only about 2.5 cm (1 inch) long and must look after themselves from the start.

What Spotted Turtles Eat

Spotted turtles are omnivores, eating both animals and plants. Their menu includes insects and their larvae, worms, snails, slugs, small crayfish, spiders, tadpoles, algae and bits of water plants. They usually swallow their food underwater.

A Long Life

For such a small animal, the spotted turtle can live a very long time. Many live 25 to 50 years in the wild, and some have been recorded living even longer. They grow slowly and do not start breeding until they are several years old, which means populations take a long time to recover when adults are lost.

Conservation Status

The spotted turtle is listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The biggest threats are:

• Loss and pollution of the shallow wetlands they need.
• Road traffic, especially when females travel to nest.
• Illegal collection for the pet trade, because their pretty spots make them popular.
• Predators such as raccoons, which raid nests.

The species is protected in many U.S. states and in Canada. If you find a spotted turtle in the wild, enjoy watching it, but leave it where it is. If it is crossing a road and it is safe to help, carry it across in the direction it was heading.

Spotted turtle FAQs