The spotted turtle ( Clemmys guttata ) is a small, semi-aquatic turtle species known for its distinctive yellow spots on a dark shell. This article delves into the spotted turtle's habitat, dietary preferences, and other essential aspects of its biology and conservation.
Description and Identification
The spotted turtle is easily recognized by its smooth, low, dark-colored carapace (upper shell) adorned with small yellow spots. The exact color of the carapace can range from black to bluish-black. Some adults may have only a few spots, while others have over a hundred. The skin also features orange to red markings. The plastron (belly) is yellowish to pinkish, covered with large brown or black blotches and is hingeless.
Hatchlings closely resemble adults. The head has a large orange blotch on each side and several yellow bands. The dorsal side of the turtle's skin is black with sparse yellow spots, while the ventral side may be brighter, with orange, pink, or red coloration.
Visual differences between male and female turtles develop around the time of sexual maturity. Sexually mature males have a concave plastron and a long, thick tail. They also typically have brown eyes and a tan, brown, or black chin. Females, conversely, possess a flat plastron and a shorter, thinner tail. They also have orange eyes and a yellow chin.
Habitat and Range
Spotted turtles are found on the east coast of the United States, from Lake Ontario down to Florida, and isolated populations exist in southeastern Canada. They occupy a variety of habitats, including marshes, wet pastures, Carolina bays, ditches, canals, temporary pools, swamps, bogs, fens, woodland streams, and small streams. Preferred habitats are shallow wetland areas with clear, clean water, soft substrate, and plenty of vegetation.
Read also: Comprehensive Look: Spotted Salamander
Although mostly aquatic, spotted turtles spend a significant amount of time on land as well. They can be decidedly terrestrial, sometimes basking on patches of grass near their body of water. Females will travel onto land to lay eggs in sunny soil. The amount of free-standing water at a site influences home range size, and these turtles exhibit site fidelity and possess a homing ability.
Behavior and Activity
Spotted turtles are primarily diurnal, meaning they are most active during the day, with occasional nighttime activity. They are most active during the spring months, particularly in April and May in the northern part of their range, and are often observed moving around when the water temperature is cold. This is a shy species that spends much of its time hiding under aquatic vegetation, and is quick to flee if disturbed. They have been observed to dive into the water and bury themselves in the bottom mud when surprised while basking.
During the freezing temperatures of winter and the extreme heat of summer, spotted turtles become inactive during environmentally unfavorable conditions. However, the species appears to be relatively tolerant of drought conditions. In the warmest part of the summer (when water temperatures exceed 30 °C), they may aestivate terrestrially or aquatically for long periods of time. During summer dormancy, the turtles may burrow into leaf litter in woodlands or marsh edges or open fields; others remain in muskrat burrows or other aquatic refuges. Spotted turtles home ranges tend to occupy limited areas of about 0.5 to 3.5 hectares (1.2 to 8.6 acres).
Diet and Feeding Habits
Spotted turtles are omnivorous, requiring a varied diet of both plant and animal matter to obtain the necessary nutrients. They feed primarily on aquatic vegetation and invertebrates, but will also eat vertebrates. The spotted turtle is an active hunter, seeking out prey items in the water by pointing its head into aquatic plants. It feeds at temperatures above 14.2 °C (57.6 °F), which in its range corresponds to roughly the middle of March onward until September.
Their diet includes aquatic vegetation, green algae, wild cranberries, aquatic insect larvae, worms, slugs, millipedes, spiders, crustaceans, tadpoles, salamanders, and small fish.
Read also: Feeding Habits Explained
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Male spotted turtles will sometimes show aggression towards one another during the breeding season (spring). Spotted turtles breed between March and May, and breeding can occur both on land and underwater. Courtship and mating occur in early spring, with males pursuing females in an underwater courtship display. Eggs are laid in early summer, from April to July, with most clutches numbering two to five eggs. Females only lay eggs once or twice a year. Nesting occurs in May and June in open, sunny locations with moist and well-drained soils. After the eggs were laid, they were arranged in the nest by alternate movements of the hind feet. The hind feet were also used to scrape soil and grass back into the nest cavity.
Clutches can range from 1-8 with an average of 3-4. Incubation lasts for 40 to 83 days. The sex of the hatchlings is determined by the temperature of the surrounding environment, with higher temperatures producing females, and lower temperatures producing males. Eggs incubated at 22.5-27°C will produce mostly males, while all eggs incubated at 30°C or greater will hatch into females. Females may lay a second clutch a few days after the first.
Spotted turtles reach sexual maturity between seven and 14 years of age and commonly live to ages of 20 to 30 or more years in the wild. Spotted turtles can live 65 to 110 years.
Conservation Status and Threats
The spotted turtle is declining throughout eastern North America due to habitat loss and poaching. The species is listed as a threatened species by the World Conservation Union. In Canada, the spotted turtle is federally endangered. In the United States, the spotted turtle is currently under review by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for protection under the Endangered Species Act. It is listed by the IUCN as endangered and has "listed" status in many of the states where it occurs.
It is estimated that spotted turtles have suffered an overall reduction of 50% of their population size due to the pet trade, habitat loss, and an increase in predation. The removal of adult spotted turtles for the pet trade has a long-lasting effect on the population because of how specialized this species is in the use of habitat, its low reproductive rate, and the presence of predators with population booms that are induced by human activities. With a small clutch size and a high mortality of juveniles, this species has a low reproductive potential in the wild. The USFWS recognizes that a lack of data means there is no way to track whether the animals were bred according to federal regulations or if wild individuals are extracted for use as parental stock.
Read also: Carnivorous Turtles in Florida
The conservation of wetlands into agricultural fields results in the fragmentation and loss of habitat for spotted turtles. Runoff of agrochemicals and waste from livestock pollute the waterways that turtles and other species depend on. Human activities have influenced the populations of predators for spotted turtles.
Habitat destruction and fragmentation isolate individuals from finding mates and food, causing local populations to decline in numbers or become extirpated from an area. Many species of turtles are highly sought for their use in the illegal pet trade. Many people illegally collect turtles to breed in captivity for use as pets. Another conservation concern is the impact of high mortality rates from impacts with motor vehicles. These threats have exacerbated their decline.
Spotted Turtle Care in Captivity
When providing high-quality spotted turtle care, these animals are capable of living for at least 50 years, and possibly over 100. Spotted turtles need an enclosure that is large enough to give them adequate opportunity to thermoregulate, explore, hunt, and generally exercise natural behaviors. Spotted turtles are not quite as strong swimmers as other aquatic turtles (ex: pond sliders) and spend more time than usual on land.
Here are some guidelines for setting up a suitable enclosure:
- 50% land, 50% water
- 2″ / 5cm deep for juveniles <3″ / 7.5cm long
- 6-8″ / 15-20cm deep for turtles >3″ / 7.5cm long
- 36″L x 18″W x 12″H (90 x 45 x 30cm) or larger
The enclosure must be completely watertight and leak-proof. This can be accomplished with a wide-base aquarium, shallow stock tank, or pond. Ponds (particularly when set up outdoors) are generally superior housing for spotted turtles compared to aquariums.
Lighting and Heating
Spotted turtles are diurnal, which means that they need exposure to bright light and UVB during the day to maintain good mental and physical health. Light sources should be left on for 14 hours/day during summer and 10 hours/day during winter to replicate natural seasonal rhythms. Alternatively, you can use a smart timer to sync the lamps with your local sunrise and sunset times. If you are housing your turtle outdoors, artificial lighting of any kind is not necessary.
To provide appropriate UVB to a spotted turtle in a small Waterland tub, you will need a 22” Arcadia T5 HO 6% or Zoo Med T5 HO ReptiSun 5.0 and a 24″ Arcadia or Vivarium Electronics T5 HO lamp fixture. The lamp should be placed primarily over the land portion of the enclosure and installed so it hangs 11-13″ / 28-33cm over the turtle’s back when basking.
A UVB bulb isn’t bright enough to replicate daylight. To get a little closer to this goal, you will need to supplement with a pair of 6500K T5 HO fluorescent plant bulbs or a single high-PAR LED lamp, long enough to span 50-75% of the enclosure’s length.
Indoors, you will need a halogen heat lamp, basking platform, and possibly a water heater to meet your pet’s thermal needs. If you are housing your turtle in an outdoor pond, artificial heating should not be necessary.
- Basking temperature: 86-90°F (30-32°C)
- Water temperature: 70-84°F (21-29°C)
Filtration and Water Quality
Aside from keeping the water at the right temperature, you also need to keep it clean. This requires excellent filtration and regular water changes. You need a canister-style filter that is capable of handling at least 2-3x the amount of water in your enclosure, because turtles are incredibly messy animals. Filtering alone is not enough. You also need to remove and replace 30% of the water once every 1-2 weeks in order to prevent toxic buildup of compounds like nitrates.
Land Area and Decorations
Spotted turtles need land in their enclosure, too. This gives them a place to warm up, dry out, walk around, and soak up some good old UVB. If you are using a Waterland tub, then the good news is that an ample basking area is already included as part of the enclosure. Simply fill the “land” portion with wet coconut fiber and you’ll be good to go!
Decorations play a vital role in your turtle’s enclosure as environmental enrichment. These items provide climbing opportunities, hiding places, encourage exercise, stimulate your pet’s natural instincts, and help promote overall wellbeing.
Décor ideas for spotted turtles:
- Substrate (washed play sand, aquarium sand)
- Mopani wood
- Manzanita branches
- Cork logs
- Rocks
- Live plants
- Artificial plants
Suitable live plants for spotted turtles may include: duckweed, pothos, anacharis, potamogeton, cabomba. Caution: Artificial plants should be very sturdy, as your turtle may attempt to eat them. Avoid using gravel or pebbles, as these can be accidentally ingested and make your turtle very sick.
Diet in Captivity
Spotted turtles are omnivorous, which means that they need to eat a variety of different types of both plant and animal matter in order to get the nutrients that their bodies need. How often spotted turtles need to eat depends on their life stage:
- Spotted turtles <6 months: 50% protein / 50% vegetables (protein food or pellets daily, vegetable food daily)
- Spotted turtles between 6-12 months: 50% protein / 50% vegetables (protein food or pellets every other day, vegetable food daily)
- Spotted turtles >1 year: 25% protein / 75% vegetables (protein food or pellets 2-3x/week, vegetable food daily)
A portion of protein should be as much as your turtle can eat in 5-10 minutes, a portion of vegetables should be the same size as the turtle’s shell, and a portion of pellets should be about the same size as your turtle’s head.
Here is a quick list of safe, nutritious foods to get you started:
- Protein foods: crickets, locusts, earthworms, discoid roaches, dubia roaches, freeze-dried shrimp/krill, frozen bloodworms, hornworms, silkworms, snails, mice
- Vegetable foods: collard greens, dandelion greens + flowers, endive, green/red leaf lettuce, kale, red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce
- Turtle pellets: Omega One Juvenile Turtle Pellets, Omega One Adult Turtle Sticks, Tetra ReptoMin, Zoo Med Natural Aquatic Turtle Food, Mazuri Aquatic Turtle Diet
Chopped fruit like skinned apple, berries, melon, and papaya may be used as rare treats.
Supplements
Turtle pellets take most of the role of supplementation in a spotted turtle’s diet, but you will also need extra calcium. Calcium powder isn’t an option, since spotted turtles prefer to eat in the water, but you can use a cuttlebone. Providing a cuttlebone in their enclosure fulfills that need and helps prevent calcium deficiency problems such as MBD. Chewing on cuttlebones also helps keep your turtle’s beak trimmed!
Depending on the size of your turtle, it may be best to put the cuttlebone into your turtle’s tank whole or to chop it into chunks.
Handling
Generally speaking, spotted turtles dislike handling and prefer to be left alone. Petting is also discouraged. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t interact with your pet! One of the easiest and most effective ways to bond with your spotted turtle is by hand-feeding with a pair of feeding tweezers.
When handling is necessary (such as a trip to the vet), scoop them up from below with your palm rather than grabbing them from above. This will help them not to panic. Then grasp the shell with two hands, supporting both the body and the legs. Keep a firm but gentle grip - falling can do serious damage to a turtle, and can even be fatal!
Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling your turtle. When soap and water is not available, use a good hand sanitizer.
Hibernation
Facilitating annual hibernation is essential to the long-term health and wellbeing of your pet spotted turtle. Here’s the basics of what you need to know to do this successfully:
- Take your turtle to the vet for a pre-hibernation health check.
- Stop offering food 2-3 weeks before hibernation is scheduled to begin.
- Place the turtle in a ventilated container with a few inches of moistened sphagnum moss. Add enough water to almost cover the moss and close the lid.
- Place the hibernation container in a temperature-controlled chamber like a wine cooler. Gradually reduce the temperature to 45°F / 7°C over the course of 4 weeks.
- Change the water 1x/month during the hibernation process. Use water the same temperature as the turtle.
- Check the turtle’s body condition every week. If they look like they’re losing weight or developing an infection, stop hibernation immediately.
- When hibernation is due to end (8-12 weeks), gradually increase the temperature back up to room temperature over the course of 2 weeks.
- Place the turtle back in its enclosure and wait a week before offering food again.