General Description:: This turtle is 3.0-4.5in (7.5-11.5cm) long with a record of 4.5in (11.5cm). Formerly called "Muhlenberg's turtle" it is a small brown turtle. The head patch sometimes is yellow or split in 2 parts. Scutes of the carapace are light brown to mahogany and may have yellowish or reddish centers. On large scutes a light-brown or orange sunburst pattern may be present; it is weakly keeled and rough or smooth depending on age. The plastron is brownish-black with varying amounts of yellow along the midline; hingeless, with 12 scutes. The male has a concave plastron and thick tail, with anal opening beyond the margin of the carapace. This turtle reaches sexual maturity in 5-7 years. Mating takes place during the first warm days of spring with nesting in June. It lays a single clutch of 1-6 (typically 3-4) elliptical, flexible- shelled eggs, averaging 1.1in (2.8cm)in length in a 2in (5cm) nest cavity. Hatchlings emerge in August and September after incubating 6-9 weeks. At hatching the young are about 1in (2.5cm) in length. The color patches may be few or (rarely) lacking entirely on the young. In some cases it may be necessary to examine head and neck for several yellow or orange spots. In the male the horny portion of both jaws is almost completely covered with dark pigment. This turtle is very secretive. Active from April to mid-October, it searches out a wide variety of prey, including tadpoles, slugs, snails, worms, and insects. In spring it often basks in full sunlight atop grassy tussocks.

General Habitat: Habitat includes sphagnum bogs, swamps, spring seepages, and clear, slow-moving meadow streams with muddy bottoms are preferred. It also inhabits wet cow pastures and slow-moving, narrow, shallow rivulets. During hot periods the turtle buries itself in mud or vegetative debris, exposing only a small portion of its shell to the sun. Winter is spent buried deep in mud flooded by subterranean waters. Man's propensity for draining and reclaiming the habitat of this species has contributed to its disappearance in many areas.