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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

Softshells (Family Trionychidae)

Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera)     U

Picture
© Joe Girgente
Recognized Subspecies in VA: Northern Spiny (Apalone spinifera spinifera)
Size: Males 5 - 9 inches | Female 7 - 17 inches
Range: Holston and Clinch River Drainages 
Status: Tier IV​

Tortoises (Family Testudinidae)

Afghan Tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii)       Exotic Transplant

Picture
© Ty Smith

Recognized Subspecies in VA: Hard to truly say as these are usually wild caught imports
Size: 4.5 - 6 inches
Range: A few one-off released pets have been reported across the state
Status: Introduced | No established populations to date

Emydine Turtles (Subfamily Emydinae)

Common Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)     C

Picture
© Ty Smith

Recognized Subspecies in VA: Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)
Size: 4.5 - 6 inches
Range: Statewide
Status: Tier III | Though no decline is evident ​
More Info

Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii)     I

Picture
© Grover Brown

Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 3 - 3.5 inches
Range: Southwestern Piedmont
Status: Federal Threatened and State Endangered​​

Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)     R

Picture
© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 5.5 - 8 inches
Range: Northern tip of the state
Status: State Threatened 

Deirochelyine Turtles (Subfamily Deirochelyinae)

Northern Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica)     C

Picture
© Grover Brown

Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: Males 4 - 6 inches | Females 7 - 11 inches
Range: Holston and Clinch River Drainages 
Status: Tier IV

False Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica)       Exotic Transplant

Picture
© Grover Brown

​Recognized Subspecies in VA: Mississippi Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii) | Northern False Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica pseudogeographica)
Size: Males 4 - 6 inches | Females 8 - 12 inches
Range: Populations in NOVA and Newport News as well as a few one-off released animals
Status: Introduced

Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin)     U

Picture
© Ty Smith
​​Recognized Subspecies in VA: Northern Diamondback Terrapin (​Malaclemys terrapin terrapin)​
Size: Males 4 - 5.5 inches | Females 6 - 9 inches
Range: Brackish waters 
Status: Tier II

Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata)      R

Picture
© Ty Smith
​Recognized Subspecies in VA: None​
Size: 3 - 4 inches
Range: Coastal Plains and Piedmont 
Status: Tier III

Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)     C

Picture
© Ty Smith

 Recognized Subspecies in VA: Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta) | Midland Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata)
Size: 4 - 6 inches
Range: Statewide; Midland subspecies is found in the southwest corner of the state
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Pond Slider (Trachemys scripta)     C

 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
More Info

River Cooter (Pseudemys concinna)     C

Picture
© Ty Smith

Recognized Subspecies in VA: Eastern River Cooter (Pseudemys concinna concinna)
Size: 9 - 13 inches
Range: Piedmont and parts of the Blue Ridge
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Coastal Plain Cooter (Pseudemys floridana)     C

Picture
© Stephen Davies
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 9 - 13 inches
Range: Coastal Plain
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Northern Red-bellied Cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris)     U

Picture
© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 10 - 13 inches
Range: Piedmont, Coastal Plain, and the Eastern Shore
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia)     I

Picture
© Grover Brown
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
More Info

American Mud and Musk Turtles (Family Kinosternidae)

Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)     U

Picture
© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: Southeastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum)
Size: 3 - 4 inches
Range: Piedmont, Coastal Plain, and Eastern Shore
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Striped Mud Turtle (Kinosternon baurii)     U

Picture
© Ty Smith

Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 3 - 4 inches
Range: Coastal Plain and possibly parts of the Eastern Shore
Status: Least Concern

Common Musk Turtle (Sternotherous odoratus)     C

Picture
© Ty Smith
​Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 2 - 4 inches
Range: Statewide
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Stripe-necked Musk Turtle (Sternotherus peltifer)     U

Picture
© Grover Brown
​Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 3 - 4 inches
Range: Holston and Clinch River Drainages
Status: Tier IV

Snapping Turtles (Family Chelydridae)

Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)     C

Picture
© Ty Smith

Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 12 - 18 inches
Range: Statewide
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Typical Sea Turtles (Family Cheloniidae)

Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)     I

Picture
​© Devlin Gandy

Recognized Subspecies in VA: Atlantic Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata)
Size: 30 - 35 inches
Range: Known from one siting in the Chesapeake Bay
Status: Federal and State Endangered

Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)     U

Picture
© Bobby Fingers

Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 36 - 48 inches
Range: Summers in the shallow waters of the Chesapeake Bay | Lays eggs on coastal beaches
Status: Federal and State Threatened

Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta)     U

Picture
© Ty Smith

Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 31 - 45 inches
Range: Summers offshore and in the Chesapeake Bay | Lays eggs on coastal beaches
Status: Federal Threatened and State Endangered

Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)     R

Picture
​© Jon McIntyre
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 23 - 28 inches
Range: Summers offshore and in the Chesapeake Bay
Status: Federal and State Endangered

Leatherback Turtles (Family Dermochelyidae)

Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea)     R

Picture
© Ty Smith

Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 53 - 72 inches
Range: Transient in Atlantic Ocean | Rare in Chesapeake Bay
Status: Federal and State Endangered
Picture
Herping Virginia encourages all naturalists to practice ethical, safe, and sustainable herping. The use of proper herping methods and techniques is beneficial to both wildlife and herpers. Visit the links below for more information.
Herping Virginia is based in Southside Virginia.
Contact: herpingvirginia@gmail.com
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