Turtles of West Virginia I will bet that you did not know that there are thirteen different species of turtle found in West Virginia. They are mostly aquatic and semi-aquatic. The only exception is the Eastern Box Turtle, otherwise known as the box turtle. They are the only turtle to spend most of their time on land and hibernate in the dirt. A box turtle is one of only two breeds of land turtles and can live to be well over 100 years old The thirteen breeds that live in West Virginia are, Spotted, wood, eastern box, Ouachita map, northern map, eastern painted, red-eared, eastern river cooter, northern red-bellied cooter, eastern snapping, stink pot, spiny soft-shell, and the midland smooth soft-shell turtle. Since the turtle tends to live so long it is not important to produce offspring every year. Even if eggs are produced yearly, many eggs are eaten by predators and very few that hatch make it to adulthood. This longevity has resulted in a dwindling population in North America. Each species of turtle has their own preferences. For example, the spotted turtle, that are semi-aquatic, can live to be over 50 years old. They prefer shallow, freshwater areas such as woodlands and streams. The wood turtle, on the other hand, spends most of their lives in or around rivers and streams with sandy bottoms. The northern map turtle will spend their lives in ponds and lakes since they are aquatic turtles. The Ouachita map turtle are quite popular as pets since they can live on foods such as dried shrimp, insects and small fish. The eastern painted turtles live in areas of slow-moving waters. The red-eared turtle also known as the red-eared slider prefer still waters like ponds and lakes since they are semi-aquatic turtles. Unlike the slider, the eastern river cooter, which prefers rivers with a moderate flow. The Pennsylvania Fish Commission placed the northern red-bellied turtle on the list of endangered amphibians and reptiles in 1978. The eastern snapping turtle, which is the common snapping turtle, (like the ones you would find “The Turtle Man” saving), are known for their powerful jaws that are almost beak like. They are also known their highly mobile, flexible neck and head. It has been jokingly remarked that once they grab on to something or someone, they will not let go till it thunders. The stink pot turtle is like a stink bug. They have the ability to release a fowl musky odor from their scent glands. The spiny soft-shell turtle gets their name from the cone-like spiny barbs coming from their shell. Last, but not least, is the midland smooth soft-shell turtle, which live mainly in the drainage areas of rivers. Well I don’t know about you, but I had no idea there were so many different species of turtles in West Virginia. Just goes to show that you are never too old to learn something new. Researched by: Carrie Nicholas
