Wood Turtle: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Life in the Water · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. A wood turtle moved 2.4 km from home was found back at its home spot after five weeks.
2. A female may walk 250 meters to find a good nest site. Digging the nest and covering it again can take about four hours.
3. Wood turtles can walk faster than 0.32 km/h. In one study of nine turtles, they covered 108 meters a day on average.
4. A wood turtle lays 3 to 20 eggs, about seven on average. Each egg is about 3.7 cm long.
5. If nothing harms it, a wood turtle can reach at least 40 years old in the wild, and 58 in captivity.

The quiz

1. How far was the male wood turtle moved before it was found back at its home spot?

• 24 km
• 240 m
• 2.4 km (correct)
• 5 km

The displaced male was found back at its home spot after five weeks.

2. How long can digging and filling the nest take?

• Four hours (correct)
• One hour
• Ten minutes
• Two days

Digging the nest and covering it again can take about four hours.

3. In one study, how far did wood turtles move in a day on average?

• 8 meters
• 1,080 meters
• 10 meters
• 108 meters (correct)

In one study of nine turtles, they covered 108 meters a day on average.

4. About how many eggs does a wood turtle lay on average?

• Two
• Seven (correct)
• Fifty
• Twenty-five

She lays 3 to 20 eggs, about seven on average.

5. How long can a wood turtle live in the wild?

• About 1 year
• About 10 years
• At least 40 years (correct)
• About 4 years

Left unharmed, a wood turtle can live at least 40 years in the wild.

More about the Wood Turtle

Same week

All lessons

Nature documentaries