Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) - Endangered

The Wood turtle gets it's name from the appearance of the carapace (upper shell), as it looks like wood grains. It can be easily identified by the orange or brick-red colour of its legs. A mid-sized turtle, the Wood Turtle reaches its full size of 20-24 cm long around the age of 20.

Canadian Population: 6,000 - 12,000

Threats to Species: habitat loss and degradation; predation by raccoons, skunks, foxes and pets; human activity such as illegal collection for personal pets or for the pet trade; and road mortality.

Fun Fact: The Wood turtle has been observed stomping the ground which researchers believe is to mimic rain falling, in order to trick worms into coming above ground.

Species descriptions are from the Species at Risk in Ontario website.