Turtles all the way down - Collaborating to inform wood turtle conservation efforts in the upper Midwest

Abstract

At first glance, wood turtles may look like any other aquatic turtle—but they’re actually quite unique. Their carapace features elevated, concentric rings, resembling growth rings associated with trees. Unlike most other turtles, this semi-aquatic, freshwater species spends a substantial amount of time in terrestrial environments where it’s found in the upper midwestern and northeastern portions of the U.S. and southeastern Canada. Wood turtles are found predominantly in river systems with clean, highly oxygenated and medium- to fast-flowing streams for brumation—similar to hibernation in mammals—thermoregulation and other facets of their life history. They are also facing declines across much of their geographic distributions.

Citation

Brown, Donald; Badje, Andrew; Crozier, Gaea; Markle, Tricia; Tamplin, Jeff. 2025. Turtles all the way down - Collaborating to inform wood turtle conservation efforts in the upper Midwest. The Wildlife Society. The Wildlife Professional, March/April 2025. 19(2): 50-54.