Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This photograph is of an individual female from a population in Central Massachusetts. Thanks, Leo

Skin & Scales

Absolutley gorgeous female! Always is great to know there are some still out there!!

Great looking turtle! Looks very happy. I can't stand seeing people trying to keep these awesome active turtles confined to tanks. Its a great injustice to them. Anymore enclosure shots?Thanks, Leo
Skin & Scales

Leo, there are more photos of both enclosures in the link to the photo album I gave you. Atleast I think there are!
thanks
-Chris

Is that one still in the wild? I don't see too many females maybe 80% of the dozens i've found are big males.

I've found that the females in the populations I've observed hang around the water a whole lot longer. Some seem to stay all year, while the males will wander around for most of the summer. I'm sure that varies a lot.

I've heard that both sexes stay close to the water virtually all year in the very Northern parts of their range. That's just word of mouth.

The place I find most wood turtles is on grassy islands in shallow to deep streams. I always find males on these normally a couple. My guess is there is a female nearby and the converge on these islands, and whoever is dominate gets the female. I agree I almost always see woodies in the water or on the banks. I have found a few juvies in upland forest but almost always in the water.

Curious.
I though the common thing in the western and northern parts of the range was for the males to stay near the water all year and the females to be found wandering the land. At least two people who work with this species in the wild have told me they speculate that the females leave the water at least partially to avoid harassment by males.

Yes, this photo was taken just after this female left the water. I have found equal parts male to female ratio where she was located.
I believe with this species, its all in the timing. I have found Females in my range come out of hibernation between the first week of March and the first week of April. The water is still very deep at this point. They stay in the water for a bit and are very inactive at first.
I have found both males and females on the banks between March and May and rarely have found more than babies in the water after the waters recede.
The Wood turtles here likely use the River/Brook for travel and is likely the cause of them seeming scarce certain times of the year where they were abundant before.
I have never found Wood turtles more than 1/2 mile from a permanant source of water. Thanks, Leo
Skin & Scales