Wood Turtle vs. Northern Map Turtle

Both have a low ridge down the shell and both live in rivers, but a Wood Turtle's plates rise in carved pyramids of growth rings, while a Northern Map Turtle's are smoother and covered in a fine net of pale lines, like a map. A Map Turtle has a yellow spot behind the eye and yellow-green stripes; a Wood Turtle's head is plain and dark, with orange skin on the neck and legs.

Photographs via iNaturalist under Creative Commons licences; the photographers are credited on the sheet.

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Wildsight identifies the reptiles and amphibians of the United States. Every comparison