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Carapace | Plastron |
The carapace (top shell) and plastron (bottom shell) are dark brown and blackish. The plastron is splotched with yellow or orange patterns that vary from turtle to turtle. From reading descriptions and comparing them to my photographs, I conclude that coloring varies from population to population. Also, I've read that most bog turtles have smooth top shells; however, I've seen a population in which at least some of the shells had what I'll call undulations. I remember thinking at the time I saw those turtles that this might have been caused by a difference in habitat.
Part II of Muhlenberg Bog Turtles Finally Listed as Threatened Species, by Ken Friedman. .
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