It was quite warm for mid-March today – 80 degrees. I was beginning to think that maybe I should have went when it was still cooler outside. But wait, what’s that movement over there in the water?

Spotted Turtles breeding. These are a small, black turtle with distinctive yellow spots on the shell. The head of the spotted turtle is often colorfully adorned with reddish-orange to yellow blotches on the sides and chin. The forearms may also be bright orange.

This handsome turtle shows a preference for shallow, sluggish water – especially marshes and bogs where vegetation is abundant. Spotted Turtles are extremely rare throughout Ohio.

The spots on spotted turtles vary greatly throughout their range. Some can have over a hundred spots, while others have no spots at all.

It was a great day for herping – I also saw my first Green Frog, Eastern Garter Snakes and Northern Brown Snake of the year.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail