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Definition of wood turtle

wood turtle

Plural:wood turtles
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wood turtle Lexical Profile

• noun

1

North American A medium-sized freshwater and terrestrial turtle native to the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada, noted for its highly sculptured, brown carapace that visually resembles carved wood.

Example

"During our hike through the dense Appalachian forest, we spotted a wood turtle foraging for berries near the stream."

Word Origin & Etymology

Named for the distinctively sculptured scutes on its carapace, which resemble the textured rings and grain of carved wood.

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Wood turtle. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/wood turtle
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