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The campsite area was sand/asphalt. The grassier sections were fenced off. Two of the turtles spotted were by the campsite bathroom and one was under our picnic table. Sorry I am not more helpful!
So, so cute. I have never found any turtles this tiny... I think I'd up & faint from cuteness exposure.
These are the only pics I have. We were camping in Delaware Seashore State Park and the kids found 3 or 4 of these little guys running around.
Hatchling eastern box turtles do indeed have that vertebral ridge on the carapace. Janson was smart to throw in diamondback terrapin as a possibility. Additional photos that could show clearer markings on the carapace and on the skin of the head/neck region would be helpful for zeroing in on the ID. Regardless, what a cute little turtle!
@Mandy - I forgot about the possibility of it being a bog turtle. Good call! It certainly does look similar to the hatchling bog turtles in my North American turtle atlas. @MaeveSalla - Are there pics of this little guy with his head extended a little more, so we can see identifying markings on his head/neck?
I don't think it is a box turtle, since it has that ridge down the center of its carapiece. The problem with Wood Turtle is that it was found just south of that turtle's range (at least, according to the Wikipedia map).
What a great find! Additional info and pics would help with the identification of this little guy. Looks to me like a hatchling eastern box turtle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_box...) or perhaps a hatchling wood turtle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_turtle...). Thanks for sharing with us!
I'm not certain of that ID. Seems likely, though, especially since it was spotted near the coast. If it is a Bog Turtle, you've found a species listed as "Critically Endangered" on the national level (but which seems to be making a comeback), so that's a pretty exciting find.
Here's another webpage about them: http://www.paherps.com/herps/turtles/bog...
(Again, I might be wrong, so do check for yourself.)
Spotted on Apr 21, 2012
Submitted on Apr 23, 2012
