Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)
The eastern box turtle lives mostly in the forest where it may be seen traveling to a forested vernal pool. These long-living reptiles have few offspring per year. This, in addition to threats to their habitat, makes them a Species of Concern in Ohio.
D. R. Celebrezze
D. R. Celebrezze
The eastern box turtle’s shell is highly domed and 4.5 to 6 inches long. The male’s plastron has a distinctive concave portion. Males have orange-red eyes while females have brown.
Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta)
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At the first sign of perceived danger they will dart into the water. Painted turtles eat plants, earthworms, insects, leeches, snails, crayfish, tadpoles, frogs, fish, and carrion.
D. R. Celebrezze
D. R. Celebrezze
The eastern painted turtle has bright yellow lines on each side of the head. The underside of the carapace is yellow. This turtle species can be easily found basking in the sun on logs poking out of the water. They are very common in Ohio and the shell length can be up to 8 inches.