A GALLERY OF TURTLES (North America) pt. 2

Lists of favorites are really easy blog posts, but I had to make it hard work anyways (looking up all these turtle pics). Here's a gallery of my favorite turtles from North America for my friend Luka (who is actually quite turtle deranged)... listed in no particular order.

6. Map Turtles (Graptemys spp.)


The exquisitely patterned Cagle's Map
Turtle (G. caglei) lives in Central Texas.


Cagle's in hand


Cagle's are found in swift muddy rivers. Here's
a view of the carapace.


Barbour's Map Turtle (G. barbouri) found
in rivers in the SE U.S.


Female Barbour's


Barbour's hatchling


Yellow Spotted Map (G. flavimaculata)
found in rivers in Mississippi


Yellow Blotched up close


Also referred to as Yellow Blotched Saw
Backed Turtles


Yellow Blotched in hand


Pascagoula Sawback (Map) Turtle
(G. gibbsoni) found in and LA


Black Knobbed Sawback (Map) Turtle
(G. nigrinoda) found in MS and AL


7. Loggerhead Musk Turtle (Sternotherus minor)


Loggerheads only reach a length of 5 1/2 in.


Notice the large head that gives this carnivorous
turtle its name.


Loggerheads can be a bit defensive when picked
up with out being asked... me too I suppose.


Found in Northern Florida and Southern GA


Unlike most Musk Turtles, the Loggerhead is
diurnal.


8. Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemmys terrapin)


Carolina Diamondback Terrapin, like all
subspecies, is found in brackish and salt water
near shore in salt marsh area.


Carolina DB Terrapin in hand, this is one of
the 6 subspecies of Diamondback Terrapins.


Carolina on a tidal mud flat. Terrapins are found
along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. from New
England to Texas.


Carolinas can be quite remarkably colored.


Hatchling Carolina


Northern Diamondback Terrapin
laying eggs


Ornate Diamondback Terrapins like all
terrapins are carnivorous turtles, feeding on
snails and crustaceans.


Ornate up close, and looking concerned about
politics and unemployment statistics


9. Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)


The semi aquatic Wood Turtle lives in
woodlands near streams, rivers, and ponds.


Omnivorous turtles, they may often be found
eating berries.


Found from New England west to the Great
Lakes region and SE Canada


The "Red Legs" race of Wood Turtles are the
Eastern race.


In most parts of their range, they are listed as
either Threatened or Endangered, due to
habitat degradation.


A view of the plastron


The Western "Yellow Legs" race found in the
Great Lakes part of their range


A Yellow Legs goes for a walk in the woods.


10. Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii)


The Diminutive (that means small) Bog Turtle
only reaches a shell length of 4 1/2 inches.


Boggies live in peat bogs and wet
meadows, and is omnivorous.


The Bog Turtle is a Federally Threatened
species, and is endangered in some states.


They occur sporadically from New England to
Northern Georgia.


The plastron of the Boggie