Spotted turtles rely heavily on vernal pools early in the spring as an important source of food after coming out of hibernation. The spotted turtle is a small (3.5-5.5”), primarily aquatic turtle with a smooth black shell and obvious bright yellow spots on its carapace, legs, head, and tail. The number and arrangement of spots vary considerably among turtles and can actually be used to identify individuals. Some may lack spots altogether on the carapace, but they will have the characteristic spots on the head and neck. Males can be distinguished from females by their concave plastron (bottom shell), a brown or black jaw and brown eyes. Females have a flat or convex plastron, orange chin, red eyes and a yellow beak.
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