Spotted pond turtles have a brown to black-colored carapace, or shell. Their head and legs are also brown or black on tup, but generally orange, or red on the bottom. They are aptly named for the yellow to orange spots on their carapace, legs, and head. These yellow spots can fade as the turtle ages; older turtles can be spotless. Juveniles are also sometimes born without these spots. 

Spotted pond turtles are small, reaching a length of about 4.5 inches (11.4 centimeters). 

Spotted pond turtles are native to North America. They are found along the eastern United States (including Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia) stretching from New England to Florida, with isolated populations in Quebec. They are also found in the Great Lakes region. 

Spotted turtles are semi-aquatic and are generally found in shallow water, such as vernal pools, bogs, marshes, small streams, swamps, sedge meadows, and ponds. This species requires habitat that has clear, clean water, emergent vegetation, and soft substrate. They can be seen basking on logs, stumps, or grass mats. Spotted turtles are dormant during the hottest part of the summer and in the winter. During the summer, they tend to hide in leaves, shrubs, or abandoned burrows. In the winter, they tend to hibernate communally on the muddy bottoms of their aquatic habitat.

Spotted turtles have a high site fidelity, which means they will return to the same site year after year for breeding. This species does not tend to search for new breeding grounds across large areas, but they do travel seasonally during the breeding season and before hibernation. 

Spotted turtles are an important species for maintain the health of freshwater ecosystems. Freshwater turtles, such as the spotted turtle, are seed-spreaders, and keep insect populations in check. This species is also culturally important: many Indigenous nations in Canada, such as the Iroquois and Algonquin tribal groups, portray the spotted turtle in totem poles and other forms of cultural art. 

Their average life span is 30 years in the wild. In zoos, these animals can live for 65-100 years.

Spotted turtles are omnivores but prefer eating live prey. Their diet includes insects, snails, crustaceans, frogs, small fish, small salamanders, leaves, algae, and other aquatic plants.

Young spotted turtles reach sexual maturity at seven to 13 years old. The mating season generally begins shortly after the animals emerge from winter hibernation in May. Males fight over females and will court the females by chasing them and nipping at their legs. Copulation occurs in shallow water. In mid to late June, the females dig nests in sand or soft soil in an area with lost of sun. Nesting will usually take place at night. 

Spotted turtles lay clutches of 3-5 eggs, and about 1-3 clutches per breeding season. The number of clutches laid depends on the latitude of the population; turtles that live more northward may only lay one clutch, while turtles closer to the equator will lay up to three per season. The eggs are incubated for 50-90 days before hatching, although it may be more or less time depending on the climate. Temperature also determines the sex of the hatchlings; warmer temperatures produce more females than males, and vice versa. The survival rate of juvenile turtles is low, which is compensated for by the long lifespan of the adults.

This species is considered Endangered by the IUCN, although in the United States, the spotted turtle is under review for by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for protection under the Endangered Species Act.  It is estimated that spotted turtles have suffered an overall reduction of 50% of their population size due to the pet trade, habitat los, and an increase in predation. This is a local species to the Washington, D.C., region, and it can benefit greatly from increased awareness and protections on local waterways. 

The removal of adult spotted turtles for the pet trade has a long-lasting effect on the population. This is because of how specialized this species is in the use of habitat, its low reproductive rate, and the presence of predators with population booms that are induced by human activities. With a small clutch size and a high mortality of juveniles, this species has a low reproductive potential in the wild. Protections for spotted turtles exist in 22 U.S. States and in Canada, but as the species is disappearing from the wild, stricter enforcement is still needed. 

Pet trade

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) reports that between 1999 and 2010, over 7,000 individuals were exported from the U.S. for commercial sale. While the majority (80%) of these individuals were reported to the USFWS as captive-bred individuals, the USFWS recognizes that a lack of data means there is no way to track whether the animals were bred according to federal regulations or if wild individuals are extracted for use as parental stock. Their numbers also vary from other recent studies on the status of spotted turtles, which report a much higher occurrence of wild captures of spotted turtles. The Canadian Border Services Agency has noted frequent encounters with smuggled turtle species, especially of spotted turtles coming from Ontario (these individuals are considered to have more lavish patterns.) These factors show that there is a demand for spotted turtles that incentivizes the capture of wild-caught individuals; each turtle will sell for $125 to $400 USD, with higher rates for wild captures. 

Habitat loss

The conservation of wetlands into agricultural fields results in the fragmentation and loss of habitat for spotted turtles. Runoff of agrochemicals and waste from livestock pollute the waterways that turtles and other species depend on. The introduction of invasive plants, which colonize large areas and replace native population, makes certain areas inhabitable for spotted turtles. 

Predation

Human activities have influenced the populations of predators for spotted turtles. Predators, like feral dogs, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and coyotes thrive on the resources found in areas that humans live in, and their increased population means more threats to spotted turtles.