Turtle Species Guide

The Eastern Box Turtle is a terrestrial member of the American pond turtle family. It is known for its high-domed shell and the ability to completely close its shell, hence the name 'box turtle'. These turtles can live up to 100 years in the wild.

Habitat & Location

Eastern Box Turtles are found in woodlands, meadows, and near shallow streams throughout the eastern United States, from southern Maine to Florida and west to Michigan, Illinois, eastern Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

The Painted Turtle is one of the most widespread and common turtles in North America. It's known for its smooth, flattened shell and colorful markings on its head, neck, and shell, which give it its name.

Habitat & Location

Painted Turtles inhabit slow-moving fresh waters with soft bottoms, basking sites, and aquatic vegetation, such as ponds, lakes, marshes, and slow-moving rivers throughout much of the United States and southern Canada.

The Red-eared Slider is one of the most popular pet turtles in the United States and has been introduced to many areas outside its native range. It gets its name from the distinctive red patch behind each eye and its habit of sliding off logs and rocks into the water when startled.

Habitat & Location

Native to the southern United States and northern Mexico, Red-eared Sliders prefer quiet waters with soft bottoms, abundant vegetation, and basking sites, such as ponds, lakes, marshes, and slow-moving rivers.

The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is named for its exceptionally large head. It's one of the largest hard-shelled turtles in the world and is found in oceans worldwide. These turtles are known for their long migrations between feeding and nesting grounds.

Habitat & Location

Loggerheads inhabit the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. In the U.S., they nest primarily along the Atlantic coast from Virginia to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Green Sea Turtle is named for the greenish color of its fat, not its shell. It's the largest hard-shelled sea turtle and the only herbivorous sea turtle, feeding primarily on seagrasses and algae as an adult.

Habitat & Location

Green Sea Turtles are found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. In the U.S., they nest primarily in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with feeding grounds along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

The Gopher Tortoise is a terrestrial turtle native to the southeastern United States. It's known for digging extensive burrows that provide shelter for hundreds of other animal species, making it a keystone species in its ecosystem.

Habitat & Location

Gopher Tortoises are found in well-drained, sandy soils in longleaf pine savannas, xeric oak hammocks, scrub, and dry prairies throughout Florida, southern Georgia, southern Alabama, and southeastern South Carolina.

The Common Snapping Turtle is a large freshwater turtle known for its powerful jaws and aggressive disposition when threatened on land. In water, they are generally docile unless provoked. They are opportunistic omnivores and important scavengers in aquatic ecosystems.

Habitat & Location

Snapping Turtles inhabit almost any type of freshwater habitat throughout the eastern two-thirds of the United States and southern Canada, including lakes, ponds, rivers, and marshes, preferring slow-moving water with muddy bottoms and abundant vegetation.

The Leatherback Sea Turtle is the largest of all living turtles and is the only sea turtle without a hard shell. Instead, it has a leathery carapace composed of a mosaic of small bones. These remarkable reptiles can dive deeper than any other sea turtle and can maintain a body temperature higher than the surrounding water due to their unique adaptations.

Habitat & Location

Leatherbacks have the widest global distribution of any reptile, found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. They travel further north than any other sea turtle species. In the U.S., they nest primarily in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.