Furrowed Wood Turtle

Furrowed Wood Turtle

Rhinoclemmys areolata

Silhouette: Idamara Fernandes Santa Cruz · PhyloPic

LCNTNear ThreatenedVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

72 Verified sightings at Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park From 2019 to 2026
96 In all 3 parks
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Furrowed Wood Turtle

The furrowed wood turtle (Rhinoclemmys areolata) is a species of turtle belonging to the genus Rhinoclemmys of the family Geoemydidae found in the Yucatán Peninsula and adjacent regions of Central America. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2010-12-15.

Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007-10-31). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-01. Retrieved 2010-12-29. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~40%
2 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
3 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Yumka' 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
2 Croco Cun Zoo 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
3 Parque museo La Venta 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
4 Tennessee Aquarium 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
5 Zoológico Miguél Álvarez del Toro 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity

Closest Relatives at Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park

No species of the same family or order lives in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Furrowed Wood Turtle in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Furrowed Wood Turtle sighting in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park on a given day, based on 72 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 17 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Furrowed Wood Turtle in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park?

August

In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Furrowed Wood Turtle in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park on a given day, against about 30% in December and January, the lowest months. That is one of Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park's wettest months, with about 160 mm of rain against 30 mm in March.

What time of day is best to see a Furrowed Wood Turtle?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Furrowed Wood Turtle sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park the best place to see a Furrowed Wood Turtle?

Yes

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Furrowed Wood Turtle sightings, Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 20%) and Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 10%).

Where does the Furrowed Wood Turtle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Furrowed Wood Turtle is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park (72 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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