What do maryland box turtles eat

These turtles are fast swimmers. They are carnivores and will feed on any crustaceans, invertebrates, and mollusks they can find. They also occasionally eat aquatic plants.

Spotted turtles are a small, beautiful species. Their smooth shells are black, covered with their eponymous bright yellow dots. Their plastrons are yellow with large black patches of varying sizes on either side. These semi-aquatic turtles prefer shallower waters alongside wetland and marshy habitats. Spotted turtles like to bask, often perching themselves on logs by the water. They prefer areas with soft ground and can wander away from water.

This omnivorous species often eats invertebrates, crustaceans, mollusks as well as vegetation. Their small size makes them great pets. They are a common species throughout Maryland.

Wood turtles are an intelligent species mainly found in western counties of Maryland. Their main habitats are woodlands and ponds. They are active during the day and roam widely while looking for food.

They are omnivores and often eat berries, plants, mollusks and earthworms. Wood turtles are so named for their shells, which are rough and feel like wood. Their patterning looks similar to growth rings and wood grain. They are mostly brown in color, with pyramid-shaped scutes. In recent years, 3 other, non-native species of turtles have been spotted in Maryland.

These specimens are usually former pet turtles that have been released into the wild. Any sightings of these turtles in Maryland should be reported. False Map turtles are not native to Maryland but have been spotted the northern Frederick County. They rarely travel far from the water, and like to bask on outcrops over the water surface. False Map turtles have dark shells, often brown or black and have contour-like yellow markings. As the turtle ages, this pattern gets fainter.

Most adults have a pronounced keel on their backs. To distinguish from other Map turtles, False turtles lack colored patches and markings on their heads. This species is omnivorous and eats aquatic invertebrates, crayfish, and aquatic plants.

The Red-eared Slider is one of the most common types of pet turtle on the market. This semi-aquatic species has been sighted in northern and central counties in Maryland.

Red-eared Sliders prefer warm, slow-moving waters. Their omnivorous diet consists of small fish, aquatic invertebrates, and underwater vegetation. Red Eared Sliders commonly have an olive green shell bearing yellow striped markings on their scales. Their heads are usually a darker color, with yellow stripe markings and red patches just behind their eyes. Check out our free red eared slider care guide for more on care. Yellow-bellied Sliders have recently been spotted in Maryland, but are not a native species.

They are mainly found in rivers and lakes, and sometimes even in ditches filled with water. As their name implies, these turtles have yellowish undersides as well as yellow bars and patches on their skin and shells. These markings also continue over their back legs. They often bask on the shore. Yellow-bellied Sliders are active during the day and are omnivorous, mainly feeding on aquatic plants as well as invertebrates, mollusks, and small fish and tadpoles.

Five species of sea turtles are also seen in the waters off the coast of Maryland. Of course, sea turtles cannot be kept as pets, but here are a few facts about each species.

Check out our page on Green Sea turtles for more information. For more information, check out our Hawksbill Sea turtle page.

For more information, see our Leatherback sea turtle page. Check out our Loggerhead sea turtle page for more information. That covers the list of 13 native turtles of Maryland.

This diverse range of species covers common turtles like the Snapping or Spotted turtles, to rarer or endangered species such as the Bog turtle, Common Map turtle, and Spiny Softshell turtles. Any sightings should be reported to wildlife authorities. Those species are usually brought to that region by humans. So a certain state might be home to 10 turtle species, but only 5 of them can be native. Alien species can be added to an area to help with certain ecological problems, or by mistake.

Turtles can do a lot of good things to an area, they can keep certain insect populations under control, they can eat the overwhelming vegetation, of a lake, that got out of control, and there are a lot of other beneficial things that they can do.

If those turtles manage to reproduce, they can easily start a new alien species in a new area. Overall I strongly suggest you not to do this, it can be very dangerous for the ecosystem and for the turtles as well.

Every state in the US has different laws regarding native turtles and turtles in general. Most of those rules are generally designed to protect turtles, so even if they seem a little restrictive, they are there for a good reason. Maryland has its own set of laws that are different from any other state. Since a lot of those laws are about the native species I strongly suggest you to visit this interactive map that will point you to an article on this site that explains as simply as possible the state laws in Maryland regarding turtles, tortoises and terrapins.

What you can do if you find a native wild turtle really depends on your intentions. If you want to take a few photos from a distance, you can definitely do that. If you want to touch the turtle you can usually do that, but you have to take a few cautionary measures. You have to remember that most wild animals can carry bacteria, and since turtles spend a lot of time in water those bacteria can be a little more dangerous.

But if you still want to, at least try not to put your hands near your face after you touched the turtle. The most important thing that you have to watch out for when interacting with a wild turtle is the turtle trying to bite you. Generally turtles are peaceful creatures, but if they think that they are in danger and they have no way of escaping, then they will definitely try to bite you. If you want to pick up a turtle you should catch it by the sides and keep your hands above or below it, never in front of its mouth.

If you want to feed the turtle , you can definitely do that, that would actually be great, but make sure that you are feeding it the right thing, some foods can be very dangerous to turtles, to find out which food items are good and which are bad you can always check out this article where you will also find a few food items lists: What Do Turtles Eat?

Including Food Lists. Most states, including Maryland, have laws that protect wild native turtles. You can check out the laws of Maryland on this page: Turtle State Laws. When turtles hibernate, they enter a very profound sleep which allows them to conserve energy. They generally do this because during cold seasons there is little to no food available to them, and because there is no heat to allow them to heat up their body turtles are unable to produce their own body heat.

If during a cold season you find a turtle that is hibernating, usually the best thing that you can do is to leave it to hibernate peacefully. Usually turtles know how to choose a good spot to hibernate, so they are probably just fine. This article should cover every basic thing about the native turtles of Maryland. If you want to know more facts about turtles you can always check out the category: Turtle Facts. Or if you are a turtle owner and you want to know more about how to properly take care of a turtle or a tortoise you can always check the Care Guides Section , or the Recommended Products Section.

Hello, I am Victor, and I have a turtle pond that is the home of 6 turtles and 2 tortoises. I've been a turtle and tortoise owner for 10 years, during which I gained a lot of experience and information, and now I want to share them with everybody that is curious or it's looking for help. Turtles are passion for me. I have pictures I can send. Thanks — stay safe…. Your email address will not be published. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment.

One of the most common problems people have with their tortoises is that they stop eating. The good news is Skip to content The United States is home to more turtle species than any other country in the world, almost species and subspecies.

Bog Turtle Glyptemys muhlenbergii Photo by U. How long it can live: Between 30 and 40 years. Conservation Status: Critical Reproduction: Nesting occurs from late May until the middle of July, and the incubation period lasts between 80 and 90 days.

How long it can live: Between 30 and 50 years. Conservation Status: Least Concern Reproduction: Map turtles usually nest multiple times a year from the start of the spring up until the end of the summer.

How long it can live: Between 50 and years. How big it can get: Most Box turtles reach sizes between 5 and 7 inches. Eastern Mud Turtle Kinosternon subrubrum Photo by LA Dawson on Wikipedia Description : The Eastern Mud turtle has a very plain look, the upper part of the shell usually lacks any pattern and the color can range from a dark yellow to black. How big it can get: They usually reach sizes between 5 and 7 inches. How long it can live: Between 20 and 30 years.

How long it can live: Between 30 and 70 years. How long it can live: Between 25 and 35 years. Conservation Status: Vulnerable Reproduction: Nesting season is between April and July, the incubation period usually lasts between 80 and 90 days.

Northern Redbelly Turtle Pseudemys rubriventris Description : The color of the skin and upper shell of the Northern Redbelly Turtle is usually dark brown or black. How long it can live: Between 40 and 60 years. Red Eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans Photo by Christian Fiderer on Flickr Description : The most distinct feature of the Red Eared Slider are the red lines that can be easily seen behind the eyes, those lines can vary in color from red to orange and rarely yellow, but in most cases they are red.

How long it can live: Between and years. Wood Turtle Glyptemys insculpta Description : The Wood Turtle has a dome-like shaped shell that is flat around the edges. How long it can live: Between 45 and 55 years. The Conservation Status The conservation status of a species shows how close a species is to extinction. Here is a list that explains what every status means: Extinct EX — No known living individuals Extinct in the wild EW — Known only to survive in captivity, or as a naturalized population outside its historic range Critically endangered CR — Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild Endangered EN — High risk of extinction in the wild Vulnerable VU — High risk of endangerment in the wild Near threatened NT — Likely to become endangered in the near future Least concern LC — Lowest risk; does not qualify for a higher risk category.

Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category. Data deficient DD — Not enough data to make an assessment of its risk of extinction Not evaluated NE — Has not yet been evaluated against the criteria. They have paired glands on either side of the body, just inside where the bridge connects the carapace and plastron. Although they may bask, our two Kinosternids are primarily aquatic.

A good way to tell the difference between mud and musk turtles is by looking at the plastron. In eastern mud turtles Kinosternon subrubrum , the plastron is relatively large with 2 hinges. Our eastern musk turtle Sternotherus odoratus , formerly called the stinkpot, has a much reduced plastron with only 1 hinge. Currently, in the world there are only two living members, or genera, of the Chelydridae family, our own snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina and the alligator snapping turtle, which is not found in Maryland.

There are also seven extinct genera of this family. As the name suggests, this turtle is known for its surly disposition when threatened. Their very long necks allow them to reach farther than other turtles to snap at predators coming from behind.

Never pick up a turtle by its tail; this can damage the animal's spine. The bony scutes found in hardshell turtles are missing in these softshelled cousins. The carapace is leathery while the plastron is much reduced. Our one species, the eastern spiny softshell is primarily aquatic. Their long tubular snouts act like snorkels, allowing the animals to remain submerged but still breathe.