Spotted Turtle

Clemmys guttata

A small, endangered black turtle of eastern North America sprinkled with yellow spots that help it hide among duckweed.

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About the Spotted Turtle

Spotted turtles are only about 4.5 inches long, with dark shells and yellow to orange spots on the shell, head and legs. They live in shallow, clean water like vernal pools, bogs, marshes, small streams and ponds, from New England to Florida and around the Great Lakes. They eat insects, snails, crustaceans, frogs, small fish, salamanders, leaves and algae.^[1][2]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Clemmys guttata^[2]
Size: About 4.5 inches long.^[2]
Lifespan: About 30 years in the wild.^[2]
Diet: Omnivore. Insects, snails, crustaceans, frogs, fish, salamanders, leaves and algae.^[2]
Habitat: Shallow, clean water such as vernal pools, bogs, marshes and small streams.^[2]
Where it lives: Eastern North America, from New England to Florida and the Great Lakes.^[2]
Conservation status: Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2010).^[3]

Fun facts

Some spotted turtles have up to a hundred spots; others have none.^[1]
Their spots help them hide among duckweed.^[1]
Spotted turtles hibernate together in the mud.^[2]

Vocabulary

vernal pool: A shallow pool that fills with water in spring and dries up later in the year.
carapace: The top part of a turtle's shell.
hibernate: To spend the winter in a deep, inactive sleep.
site fidelity: Returning to the same place year after year.
endangered: A conservation label meaning a species faces a very high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Oakland ZooOakland, California · Reptile and Amphibian Discovery RoomSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Oakland Zoo. “Spotted Turtle.” https://www.oaklandzoo.org/animals/spotted-turtle/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Spotted turtle.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/spotted-turtle (accessed 2026-10-02)
[3] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Clemmys guttata (Spotted Turtle).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/4968/97411228 (accessed 2026-10-02)