What is "wood turtle"

n. A turtle of the species (taxlink Glyptemys insculpta species noshow=1), a rather large turtle usually found in wooded areas near water.

The wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) is a turtle endemic to North America. It is in the genus Glyptemys, a designation given to only one other turtle: the bog turtle. The wood turtle reaches a carapace length of , its defining characteristic being the pyramidal pattern on its upper shell. Morphologically, it is similar to the bog turtle, spotted turtle, and Blanding's turtle. The wood turtle exists in a broad range extending from Nova Scotia in the north (and east) to Minnesota in the west and Virginia in the south. In the past, it was forced south by encroaching glaciers: skeletal remains have been found as far south as Georgia.

It spends a great deal of time in or near the water of wide rivers, preferring shallow, clear streams with compacted and sandy bottoms. The wood turtle can also be found in forests and grasslands, but will rarely be seen more than several hundred meters from flowing water. It is diurnal and is not overtly territorial. It spends the winter in hibernation and the hottest parts of the summer in estivation.

The wood turtle is omnivorous and is capable of eating on land or in water. On an average day, a wood turtle will move , a decidedly long distance. Many other animals that live in its habitat pose a threat to it. Raccoons are over-abundant in many places and are a direct threat to all life stages of this species. Inadvertently, humans cause a large number of deaths through habitat destruction, road traffic, farming accidents, and illegal collection. When unharmed, it can live for up to 40 years in the wild and 58 years in captivity.

Wood turtle may refer to:

• Wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta), a turtle endemic to North America
• Neotropical wood turtle is a Rhinoclemmys genus including:
  • Brown wood turtle, Rhinoclemmys annulata, a turtle found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
  • Furrowed wood turtle, Rhinoclemmys areolata
  • Maracaibo wood turtle, Rhinoclemmys diademata
  • Black wood turtle, Rhinoclemmys funerea, a species of turtle found in Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
  • Colombian wood turtle, Rhinoclemmys melanosterna
  • Large-nosed wood turtle, Rhinoclemmys nasuta, a turtle found in Colombia and Ecuador
  • Painted wood turtle, Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima
  • Spot-legged turtle, Rhinoclemmys punctularia
  • Mexican spotted wood turtle, Rhinoclemmys rubida a turtle endemic to Mexico.