A Visual Guide of the Turtles of Connecticut

Turtles are such cute little creatures, they're beneficial, they mind their business, and they're good at avoiding people. The sad news is that turtles are becoming an increasingly rare sight here in Connecticut. Of the 12 turtle species native to CT, 9 of them are on the state's Endangered, Threatened, and Concerned List. There's a swamp right behind my place in Waterbury, and it's a snapping turtle breeding ground. Every year hundreds of tiny little hatchlings emerge from the bog. I've always been fascinated by reptiles, and I love encountering them in their habitat.

A few weeks ago I posted an article about Connecticut's native snake species, well, it's time to shine my visual spotlight on another reptile you might find hiding under your porch, or chilling out in your birdfeeder, as our friend Mark W. in New Milford recently encountered. Mark sent us this photo, and here's a perfect example of why I'm doing this: Do you know what turtle species that Mark captured here?

I do, because I did the research, and now, you can too: