Wood Turtle vs. Painted Turtle

Look at the shell first. A Wood Turtle's plates each rise in a low pyramid of growth rings, like carved wood; a Painted Turtle's shell is smooth, flat and dark, with red bars around the edge. The head confirms it: plain and dark on a Wood Turtle, with orange skin on the neck and legs; yellow-striped on a Painted Turtle. Underneath, a Wood Turtle is yellow with a dark blotch on each plate; a Painted Turtle in Michigan is plain yellow.

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