Photo Caption
A Bog Turtle, identifiable by the bright, colorful blotches on the sides of its head.
© CI/photo by Peter Paul van Dijk
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Glyptemys muhlenbergii
Glyptemys muhlenbergii – the evocatively named 'bog turtle' – is tiny with a shell length of about four inches. Native to the foothills of the eastern United States, the bog turtle lives in spring meadows and other small marshes, where it digs shallow tunnels like a mole to hunt for worms, slugs and grubs.
The turtles can be identified by bright, colorful blotches on the sides of their heads.
About 98 percent of this animal's habitat has been converted to agricultural lands. Only scattered, small populations remain from New York to northern Georgia in the United States.
IN PHOTOS: View a photo gallery of endangered turtles.