Size: Average around 18 cm in carapace length.

Appearance: Smooth, somewhat flattened carapace, dark brown in color with no keels or ridges; marginals conspicuously red; pair of yellow spots behind eyes; differ in that the eastern subspecies has carapace scutes aligned in rows and midland are staggered; where subspecies overlap characteristics may be hard to distinguish because mixing does occur.

Range: Eastern-Nova Scotia to Alabama. Midland-Quebec and Southern Ontario to Alabama; divided generally by the Allegheny Mountains and overlap does occur on Allegheny Plateau.

Habitat: Prefer a muddy, silty bottom in slow, shallow water; can tolerate brackish conditions.

Habits: Fond of basking; often wander over land; hibernate in stream or lake bottom in the mud from October to March; non-aggressive and make a good pet; eat mostly insects, crustaceans, mollusks and some vegetable matter.