Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) is a medium-sized, semiterrrestrial turtle species distributed from the piedmont into the mountains of western Maryland. This turtle is considered to be one of the most terrestrial of our turtle species, and among Maryland turtle species, only the fully-terrestrial Eastern Box Turtle spends more time on land. Wood Turtles prefer streams and creeks with clear water, and gravel or similar hard substrates. These turtles tend to spend much of their time on land, within forested areas or meadows adjacent to the creek. In spring, they are often found wandering far from water, or basking in open woodland. This beautiful turtle is classified as Vulnerable and in need of conservation within the state of Maryland (Conant & Collins, 1998; Maryland DNR website). Threats to this species include habitat modification or fragmentation, vehicle mortality, and poaching. The IUCN Redlist considers this species to meet the criteria for endangered. Some populations appear to be declining, while long individual longevity may mask population declines (van Dijk & Harding, 2016.)
There are 67 records in the project database.
| GA | AL | WA | FR | CL | MO | HO | BA | BC | HA | CE | PG | AA | CV | CH | SM | KE | QA | CN | TA | DO | WI | SO | WO |
