One of the 41 turtles and tortoises on WAnimals
Reptiles · Testudines · Emydidae
Northern Map Turtle
Graptemys geographica
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
The northern map turtle owes its name to the pattern of fine pale lines on its shell, reminiscent of the contour lines of a map. It shows one of the most extreme cases of sexual dimorphism among turtles: the females are far larger than the males and have a disproportionate head, adapted to crushing molluscs.
Weight
500 g – 2.5 kg
Size
10 cm – 27 cm
Lifespan
30 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- Males and females eat different things: the females, with their huge heads and jaws, crush clams and snails; the males, far smaller and narrow-headed, eat aquatic insects. It is niche separation within a single species.
- Females can weigh up to ten times as much as males, one of the most extreme cases of sexual dimorphism among the chelonians.
- They are seen lined up on logs and rocks basking in large groups, and slide into the water all at once at the slightest movement on the bank.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton with a shell (reptile)
- Habitat & environment
- Large rivers and lakes with current and stony bottoms in eastern North America
- Size at birth
- About 3 cm of carapace on hatching
- Sexual maturity
- 14 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 70 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 12 eggs
Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: From April to September in rivers and lakes of eastern North America, when it basks in groups on floating logs.
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 14 de 16 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Northern Map Turtle — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta
Pond Slider
Trachemys scripta
Blanding's Turtle
Emydoidea blandingii
Least ConcernCommon Snapping Turtle
Chelydra serpentina
Spiny Softshell Turtle
Apalone spinifera
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus salmoides
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about northern map turtle.
Comments
Share an experience, a fun fact or a tip for seeing the northern map turtle.
Be the first to comment.