What's Your Nature?

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Posted by Mary Atkinson,
North Country explorer from Syracuse, New York
April 6, 2013

On my walk back from the river, I came across this turtle. Unfortunately the turtle was no longer alive. I believe it is a Eastern Redbelly Turtle.

The average size of the shell is 10-14 inches. They tend to live in aquatic habitats; relatively deep water, rivers, creeks, marshes, ponds, or lakes with soft bottoms and plenty of vegetation. When this type of turtle is young it tends to be an omnivore, as it becomes an adult it turns to being a herbivore. Primarily eating snails, fish, tadpoles, earthworms, insects, and aquatic plants.