Two Turtles

How wonderful to be away from the tyranny of the Eastern Red-eared-slider! Great Swamp NWR management in fact urges you to report sightings of these invasive creatures. Meanwhile, the Swamp offers up several native species of turtles. On our recent trip, we saw a lot of Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta).Not unknown in NYC waters, the Painted has these beautiful red markings on its body and shells, with the plastron (covering the belly) having the most elaborate patterns.We saw a single Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata), which was once the most common species in the NYC area. I’ve never seen one here in the city. (The species is now one of Special Concern in NY). The spots are on the body, even the tail, as well as the shell. Hatchlings generally have one yellow spot per scute, with more developing with age.