What is the characteristic color and texture of the Glyptemys insculpta carapace?
Answer
Dark brown to grayish-black with deep sculpturing or radiating grooves.
The carapace, or the upper shell, of the wood turtle is one of its most visually distinctive features used for field identification. Its coloration is typically described as ranging from dark brown to grayish-black. More important morphologically is the texture: the scutes of the carapace feature deep sculpturing, deep grooves, or radiating patterns. This texture gives the shell a rough, almost carved appearance, which directly relates to the species' scientific designation, *insculpta*. This contrasts with related species that may present smoother or flatter shell surfaces.
Related Questions
How must the scientific binomial Glyptemys insculpta be written correctly?What physical characteristic relates to the specific epithet insculpta?Which family sometimes houses Glyptemys insculpta in older or alternative classifications?Besides the wood turtle, what other species belongs to the genus Glyptemys?What defines the Class Reptilia grouping for G. insculpta based on taxonomic ranks?How does the wood turtle's typical habitat use contrast with many other Emydidae members?What is the characteristic color and texture of the Glyptemys insculpta carapace?What color is typically associated with the plastron of Glyptemys insculpta?What is the regional status of the wood turtle in New Jersey?What is the alternative name sometimes used for the Order Testudines?What does the variation in legal status across jurisdictions highlight about taxonomy?