Turtles (Order Testudines)
Welcome to our Turtle Guide! Turtles are very unique reptiles, that really are not too closely related to the others. There are 23 turtle species that are native to Virginia.
Frequency Rating: Ratings are based on how common each species is across their range within Virginia. Some common species may be incredibly abundant within their small range, while some may be common in most of their range but rare in a small portion of their range. Some rarer species may be abundant in pockets of their range, but are overall rare.
Common = C Uncommon = U Rare = R Incredibly Rare = I
Frequency Rating: Ratings are based on how common each species is across their range within Virginia. Some common species may be incredibly abundant within their small range, while some may be common in most of their range but rare in a small portion of their range. Some rarer species may be abundant in pockets of their range, but are overall rare.
Common = C Uncommon = U Rare = R Incredibly Rare = I
Softshells (Family Trionychidae)
Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera) U
Tortoises (Family Testudinidae)
Afghan Tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii) Exotic Transplant
Emydine Turtles (Subfamily Emydinae)
Common Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) C
Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) I
Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) R
Deirochelyine Turtles (Subfamily Deirochelyinae)
Northern Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica) C
False Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica) Exotic Transplant
Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) U
Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) R
Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) C
Pond Slider (Trachemys scripta) C
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) | Cumberland Slider (Trachemys scripta troostii) | *Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta)*
Size: 5 - 9 inches Range: Statewide Status: Yellow-bellied Slider - Tier IV | Cumberland Slider - Tier III | Red-eared Slider - Introduced |
River Cooter (Pseudemys concinna) C
Coastal Plain Cooter (Pseudemys floridana) C
© Stephen Davies
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 9 - 13 inches Range: Coastal Plain Status: Least Concern |
Northern Red-bellied Cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris) U
© Ty Smith
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 10 - 13 inches Range: Piedmont, Coastal Plain, and the Eastern Shore Status: Least Concern |
Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia) I
© Grover Brown
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: Eastern Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia reticularia)
Size: 4 - 6 inches Range: Two small populations on the far southern Coastal Plain Status: State Endangered |
American Mud and Musk Turtles (Family Kinosternidae)
Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum) U
© Ty Smith
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: Southeastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum)
Size: 3 - 4 inches Range: Piedmont, Coastal Plain, and Eastern Shore Status: Least Concern |
Striped Mud Turtle (Kinosternon baurii) U
Common Musk Turtle (Sternotherous odoratus) C
© Ty Smith
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 2 - 4 inches Range: Statewide Status: Least Concern |