Wood Turtle

Walking along the rocky-strewn bed of the Little Yoho Brook I noticed this Wood Turtle among the rocks and grasses near its shores. The Wood Turtle is terrestrial and can be found in the woods, whereas Painted Turtles and Snapping Turtles feed in the water. As soon as this turtle was aware of my presence it tried to seek cover by crawling under the edge of a rock. We left it undisturbed and continued on with our hike.

The only other time I have encountered a Wood Turtle in recent years was when I photographed the one shown above in June , 2001 while it was crossing a dusty, unpaved road. In this photo the characteristic brick red colour on its legs and neck is easily seen.