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
© Joe Girgente
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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
© Ty Smith
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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
Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) I
© Grover Brown
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 3 - 3.5 inches Range: Southwestern Piedmont Status: Federal Threatened and State Endangered |
Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) R
© Ty Smith
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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
© Grover Brown
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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
© Grover Brown
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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
© Ty Smith
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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
© Ty Smith
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 3 - 4 inches Range: Coastal Plains and Piedmont Status: Tier III |
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
Northern Red-bellied Cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris) U
Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia) I
American Mud and Musk Turtles (Family Kinosternidae)
Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum) U
Striped Mud Turtle (Kinosternon baurii) U
© Ty Smith
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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
Stripe-necked Musk Turtle (Sternotherus peltifer) U
© Grover Brown
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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
Typical Sea Turtles (Family Cheloniidae)
Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) I
© Devlin Gandy
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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
© Bobby Fingers
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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
© Ty Smith
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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
© Jon McIntyre
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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
© Ty Smith
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 53 - 72 inches Range: Transient in Atlantic Ocean | Rare in Chesapeake Bay Status: Federal and State Endangered |
