According to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the bog turtle is Pennsylvania's smallest turtle.

Even though it does not require large areas of habitat to survive, its populations have suffered from more problems associated with habitat loss than any other turtle in the state.Bog turtles prefer to live in spring seeps and open, marshy meadows, which are usually found in flat or gently rolling landscapes of the valleys of southeastern Pennsylvania.Some well-meaning people want to protect this species so much that they actually unknowingly endanger the turtles by removing them from the wild when they are seen crossing roads.Typically, the turtle is dropped off at a pet store or nature center with little or no information pertaining to where it was picked up.In many cases, turtles cannot be released back into the wild because their wetland of origin is unknown. Disease and genetic issues often prevent releasing turtles in areas other than their native wetland.Bog turtles are listed both as a Pennsylvania endangered species and threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.In Pennsylvania, adult and juvenile bog turtles usually enter the mud to overwinter during late September and October. For at least half of the year, bog turtles exist in a dormant state buried in the mud.