The map turtle is omnivorous and its diet includes insects, crayfish, worms, aquatic plants, and sometimes fish and carrion. In captivity, map turtles eat fish, crustaceans and shellfish, chicken, liver, certain lettuces, insects, lean meat, and a few others.

The habitat environment of map turtles varies according to the species, and the pond Many map turtles seem to prefer rivers to lakes.