Glyptemys turtles prefer slow moving streams and ponds, and feed on insects, plant matter, small invertebrates, and carrion.

[3] Before 2001, the bog and wood turtles were members of the genus Clemmys, but they were moved to a newly created genus, Glyptemys, after further morphological and genetic analyses revealed they were much closer relatives to each other than to the spotted turtle.

[7][15] These turtles are semiaquatic and are commonly found in bogs, fens,[16] and small streams which have soft yet compacted, sandy bottoms.

[17] During the last post-Pleistocene ice age, Glyptemys turtles were forced south by encroaching glaciers from the north.

Some fossil remains from the Rancholabrean period (300,000 to 11,000 years BP) have been found in Georgia and Tennessee, areas farther south than the turtles' current range.

[1][19] During extremely cold days, they each may spend time under water, while the bog has been known to also seek dense underbrush or mud in which to bury itself.