Characteristics:
     A medium sized turtle, carapace nearly a ft in length. Shell is brown to olive green with a pattern of faint yellow lines, giving the shell a "road map" appearance. Head and legs are dark with yellow lines. Primary distinguishing characteristic is the presence of a small, triangular spot behind the eye.


Habitat:
   Rivers, sloughs, and oxbow lakes. They prefer slow moving back water portions of rivers.


Behavior:
   Like the sliders and painted turtles, the map tutrles are often seen basking on logs out in lakes or rivers. They will dive into the water at the slightest sign of danger. They mate in
the spring and lay eggs in early summer. They eat a variety of aquatic invertebrates and can even crack open snails and clams with their powerful jaws.

Personal Remarks:
    These guys are a very interesting looking turtle. The pattern on their neck and legs can be very striking. In IL, most of the populations are in the upper half of the state so we most often get to see them in MO where they are common in the small fresh water rivers. Often they are long gone before you even sight them, so what we have to do is dive under water and look in submerged vegetation for them.