When it comes to turtle counting, no one beats The Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group at the IUCN. Their recently published revised taxonomy of the types of turtles that inhabit much of the world consists of 454 separate turtles (317 species and 137 subspecies).
Continued turtle research, especially with DNA analysis will alter the taxonomy and species numbers. Having said that, at the time of the writing, North American turtles formally consist of sixty six different species divided into seven families (including the sea turtles).
Informally turtles also divide into three categories, fresh water turtles, tortoises (land turtles), and sea turtles or salt water turtles. By far, the majority of turtle species seen by the average American fits into the first category, fresh water turtles. The video at the top of the page shows a Western Pond Turtle, the only native fresh water turtle on the West Coast.
Fresh Water Turtles
Here’s a great group of turtle pictures to help with identification for all the types of turtles in the family Emydidae. They are better known by their common names such as box turtles, cooters, pond turtles, sliders and more.
Adapted to water habitats describes most of the species. Cooters are more often than not adapted to rivers. Pond turtles and sliders adapt to the slow moving waters of ponds. Most people with only a passing knowledge of turtles quickly identify the local box turtles as a terrestrial group.
Most species also get collectively referred to as basking turtles. It’s practically impossible to miss their basking behavior on logs and stones adjacent to their water habitats. As reptiles, they need the sun to regulate their body temperature.
As turtle research continues, the taxonomy or way turtles get classified changes. Currently the family splits into eleven different genera and close to forty species. It ranks as the largest and most diverse family of turtles in the United States.
Geography determines the ranges for most fresh water species. States along the West Coast have only two native species. The Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) in the top picture bucks the general trend. Four Painted Turtle subspecies have been documented, including a western species. It is the most wide ranging of all the fresh water turtles in the United States.
Depending on the subspecies, they have more or less red markings on their shells and bodies. They are so popular that four states, Michigan, Illinois, Vermont and Colorado call them their official state reptile.
All turtle identification guides emphasize the fact that shell patterns along with colorful facial and neck patterns make for good field identification clues, especially in areas with above average turtle diversity.
This section provides pictures and general information covering species from most of the fresh water turtle genera.
More Turtle Pictures
The types of turtles covered in the remainder of this section provides a quick overview of the remaining genera of pond and basking turtles.
Seven different Diamondback Terrapin subspecies (Malaclemys terrapin) represent the Emydidae family, although they present a variation on the Emydidae freshwater preference theme by inhabiting transition zones between the freshwater rivers and salt water oceans of the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico.
Although none of the subspecies grows larger than a foot in length, their shell appearance differs from location to location. Additionally, all of the subspecies share the physical characteristic of having a white face with dark markings.
Western Pond Turtles (A. marmorata) are the rare West Coast species. There use to be one species that inhabited rivers and ponds up and down the West Coast. It has subsequently been split into two species.
It is listed as endangered in Washington State, with habitat loss cited as a causal factor.
The yellow-bellied slider, (Trachemys scripta scripta), a relative of the more common Red-headed Slider, inhabits slow moving water bodies like ponds and lakes of the South.
Cooters are the larger than average river turtles common in many areas of the eastern United States. The Peninsula Cooter, also known as the Florida River Cooter, lives in slow flowing rivers and streams from Virginia, south through Florida. They feed primarily of local plant life. The picture shows a specimen with a colorful green and yellow patterned shell.
Size along with a patch of yellow or orange color on the side of the neck represent the basic field identification clues for the Bog turtle.
They measure less than five inches in length. They live year round in their locations and tend to hibernate for approximately half the year.
Eastern Chicken Turtle are common in the Southeast. The picture shows many of the elements necessary for turtle identification. Of species note, the underside portion of the shell shows some dark spots. That is common in many but not all chicken turtles. They also have a plain plastron.
Blanding’s Turtle is a northern species that lives in ponds and streams in and around the Great Lakes. There are spillover populations into adjacent states.
The yellow throat is a good identification clue. Most areas of the northern United States have only a few species so it is fairly easy to identify.
Fourteen species of Map Turtles can be found in the Eastern United States. The yellow markings on the face and legs often gives them a physical look similar to other water turtles. The ridge down the center of the carapace is the best way to picture them out in the pond as they are basking in the sun.
The Common Map Turtle in the picture is probably the most widespread of all the species. It ranges from the Great Lakes area to the northern areas of the Gulf Coast States.
Many of the other Map Turtle species have a range limited to one river system or watershed. Because of their limited range, many of them are listed as threatened or endangered in states. Two species, the Ringed Map Turtle and Yellow-blotched Map Turtle are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Spotted Turtles inhabit shallow waters along both the East Coast and the Great Lakes.
They grow to only five inches in length and the spots on the shell make for easy identification. For turtle fans, seeing one is a more difficult task than identifying one. They are listed as threatened or endangered in most states due to habitat loss.
Tortoises
Four native tortoise species walk the North American soils. The least known and largest species, the Bolson tortoise inhabits high altitude areas of the a Chihuahuan desert in northern Mexico and areas of New Mexico and Arizona.
Listed as endangered, efforts to protect its critical habitat have been established.
The Texas Tortoise, the smallest of the four native tortoise species, inhabits areas of northern Mexico and Southern Texas. Population declines led to its being designated a protected species in 1977.
The Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), pictured, inhabits sandy soil areas in the Southeastern United States from Florida to the eastern parts of Louisiana. They live year round in large burrows, often measuring thirty feet in length. During the day they emerge to bask in the sun and forage for food, mostly plant life.
The western population population are federally listed as threatened, with habitat loss cited as the cause of declining populations. Florida also lists them as threatened. Georgia designated them the official state reptile in 1989.
The Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), a Southwest native species with distinct populations in the Mohave and Sonoran deserts. The Sonoran desert population tends to live along rocky hillsides, the Mohave desert population tends to live in flatland areas.
The Mojave population has been listed as threatened. In October 2008 a couple of groups petitioned to have the Sonoran Desert population likewise listed, claiming that population levels have fallen by about 50% during the past twenty years.
Types of Turtles: Snapping Turtles
Two types of snapping turtles (family Chelydridae) inhabit the muddy water bottoms of ponds and streams across most of the Eastern United States: the Common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) and the Alligator snapping turtles (Macrochelys).
Common snapping turtles inhabit all types of fresh and brackish water environments east of the Rocky Mountains. Ponds, lakes, wetlands, creeks and even some rivers serve as home. As long as their is a muddy water bottom that provides them safety and a place for winter hibernation, it works for them.
Apart from breeding season where they come ashore to lay eggs, they spend most of their lives buried in the river bottom, so seeing one in the wild can be a real treat. Adults in the picture have a flat shell.
The Alligator snapping turtle holds the title of largest water turtle in the United States. When they say large, there’s really no comparison with the common snapping turtle. The average alligator snapping turtle grows about twice as large (almost three feet) and weighs around 175 pounds.
Recently (2014) the genus was split into three species. They inhabit the river areas of the Southeast that empty into the Gulf of Mexico. Each of the river systems hosts a different species.
In addition to size, the ridges on the shell make it easy to identify one in those rare cases it might come ashore.
Softshell Turtles
Three Soft-shelled turtle species along with multiple subspeciees, inhabit a variety of native water environments from rivers to ponds to drainage areas.
In most instances, their large size, flat shells, pointed noses and propensity to bask in the sun, make them easy to spot and identify. They are omnivores that feed on a variety of local plant and animals within their territory.
The white line on the face of the specimen in the picture indicates it’s a Smooth Softshell Turtle.
Here’s a picture of a Spiny Softshell turtle for comparison.
Mud and Musk Turtles
Let’s talk about the types of turtles that fit into the family Kinosternidae, or the Mud and Musk turtles. Never heard of them you say? Never saw them you saw. That may be true. However, consider the following outline.
Mud and Musk turtles are New World turtles, meaning they are only found in North and South America. There are eleven species in the United States, most of them inhabit the slow moving waters east of the Rocky Mountains.
Also, they are very small turtles, measuring less than six inches in length. Now ask yourself how many times you’ve seen a group of basking turtles and thought one of the small ones was a baby turtle rather than a mud or musk turtle>
With only three species Musk turtles are the less common of the two groups in terms of species numbers. However their range extends to all potential areas east of the Rocky Mountains. Potential range is the key phrase.
The Flattened musk turtle, for example, has been listed as a threatened species since 1990. Habitat loss and degradation in its Alabama range translated into a 2014 review by the US Fish and Wildlife Service saying,
Population numbers have declined in various reaches in between historical sample sites. Data from those same sites in 2012 indicated a 32-56% chance of extinction in the historical sites… Coal mining and non-sustainable land management practices with related water quality and quantity threats continue to escalate.
. Populations for the other two species and subspecies continue to be sustainable.
The name Musk turtle also refers to the odor they release as a chemical defense against predators. The picture shows a Common Musk Turtle. Note the high, smooth dome of the shell.
Seven species of mud turtles inhabit US waters. The Sonoyta Mud Turtle is the only species suffering from severe population pressure. In October 2017 it became the most recent turtle species listed as endangered in accordance with the Endangered Species Act.
The name mud turtle pretty much explains the genera. They are small turtles that inhabit the muddy bottoms of water areas, again, mostly east of the Rocky Mountains.
Sea Turtles
When talk of the types of turtles in the United States comes up, one must not forget the sea turtles. While they spend most of their time swimming the world’s oceans, seven different sea turtles live and breed in tropical and subtropical oceans of the world. With the exception of the Leatherback, they all grow hard shells.
All seven species have experienced significant population declines over the last couple of decades, and all are considered either vulnerable or endangered.
With the exception of the Flatback and Kemp’s Ridley turtles, sea turtles range extends across the world’s oceans. Their nesting grounds, the world’s beaches, share many similar characteristics.
Habitat destruction or human encroachment in their traditional nesting grounds, along with increased fishing in their foraging areas, where they are accidentally captured as byproducts, and pollution are a few of the multiple factors that scientists cite as the primary factors contributing to their decline.
Six of the world’s seven sea turtle species call beaches around the country their nesting homes. They fit into two different turtle families.
Leatherback Sea Turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), the world’s largest marine turtles, easily reach lengths of over six feet long.
The name leatherback aptly describes its most important physical characteristic. It is the only soft shell sea turtle, and it is also considered warm blooded, with the ability to regulate its body temperature during forays into colder ocean water.
Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta), the most common sea turtle species found along North American coast lines, continue to experience population stress.
While the south Atlantic coastal region and the Gulf of Mexico host most sea turtle nesting sites, several species do visit the West Coast.
Types of Turtles: Box Turtles
As mentioned earlier, Box Turtles can also be formally associated with fresh water turtles.
They are probably best known as the turtles that can draw their head and legs into their shell and close it down in a box like protective manner. They are also the most land based of all the water based turtles in the family Emydidae.
Depending on the source, North America hosts either two native box turtle species, the Eastern Box Turtle and the Western Box Turtle along with their subspecies, or four separate species, Florida Box Turtle, Woodland Box Turtle, Ornate Box Turtle, Three-toed Box Turtle.
Four subspecies of the Eastern Box Turtle inhabit the forest floors, swamps and grassy areas of the Eastern United States:
- Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) exhibits the widest range, extending from Southern New England, south to the Florida state line and west into Indiana, southern Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee.
- The Three-Toed Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina triunguis) ranges through the South Central United States.
- The range of the Florida Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina bauri) is limited to the peninsula area.
Eastern box turtles are one of the most commonly seen turtles in the wild. Although, because of their wide range, they are experiencing population pressures in some areas.
According to the article, Home range and habitat preferences of Eastern Box Turtles… published in Herpetology Notes (2013),
Several state regulatory agencies in the Northeast (Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania) and Midwest (Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan) United States have listed it as a species of “Special Concern.” It is also considered “Protected” in Rhode Island, and “Endangered” in Maine.
Habitat destruction is commonly cited as a primary factory affecting populations. Whether or not altered habitats contribute to disease and increased mortality in turtles is still a big question.
The presence of ranavirus and its deleterious effect on local box turtle populations, however, is not in question. According to the article, PCR Prevalence of Ranavirus in Free-Ranging Eastern Box Turtles at Rehabilitation Centers in Three Southeastern US States, the issue is important because of the havoc an outbreak can cause for already stressed populations.
Ranaviruses (genus Ranavirus) have been observed in disease epidemics and mass mortality events in free-ranging amphibian, turtle, and tortoise populations worldwide. Infection is highly fatal in turtles, and the potential impact on endangered populations could be devastating.
In their normal forest habitat they are usually very easy to identify as the high domed turtles walking around. They do have different shell patterns and coloration depending on geography and range.
For example, the first box turtle picture shows a Florida Box Turtle. The Second picture shows an Eastern Box Turtle. Some eastern box turtles have brown shells. Others, like the one in the picture have yellow markings on the shells and on the feet and face.
Three-toed box turtles get characterized as the western most species or subspecies of the Eastern Box turtles. Their range kind of extends to areas adjacent to the Mississippi river from Illinois to almost the Gulf Coast. The Gulf Coast Box Turtle range is immediately along the coastal areas.
The name says is all, many, but not all of the species have only three toes on the back foot. The picture also shows there is not much physically different in the species from the other two species. There are colorful patterns on the face and arms.. Sometimes there are no patterns on the shell.
Western Box Turtles have different physical and behavioral characteristics than Eastern Box Turtles. Behaviorally their habitat is mostly grasslands and desert areas rather than the forests. Their shells have a bit less pronounced dome.
Two subspecies of the Western Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata), also known as the Ornate Box turtle, inhabit dry and sandy habitats in their range.
The more common subspecies, the Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata ornata), inhabits the grasslands of the central United States from South Dakota, south through Texas. The Desert Box Turtle inhabits the grassland areas of the Desert Southwest regions, south to northern Mexico.