Spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera)

A spiny softshell is a sizeable aquatic turtle, one of the largest out of most freshwater turtles. They get their name from the structure of their shells which have cone-like projections at the edge of their carapaces.

Also, you can recognize a spiny softshell by its soft, fleshy, and elongated nose. Furthermore, they have webbed feet with three claws on each. 

Their diet consists of crayfish, aquatic insects, fish, and aquatic plants. A unique feature of spiny softshells is their ability to breathe oxygen and carbon dioxide while breathing air or underwater2. This breathing ability makes them bimodal breathers.

Smooth softshell turtle (Apalone mutica)

This species of softshell has anapsid skulls. Anapsid skulls are skulls that have no openings. They also have a pipe-like snout with round nostrils. Their shells are smooth, soft, and flexible. Female smooth softshells are larger than their male counterparts. A female’s shell length can grow up to 14 inches, while males grow up to 7 inches.

They mainly eat crayfish, fish, amphibians, and aquatic insects. However, they sometimes eat aquatic plants and vegetation. They are endemic to North America, with a preference for underwater areas with sand or mud bottoms. They avoid rocky areas and places with heavy vegetation.

Three-toed box turtle (Terrapene triunguis)

Three-toed box turtles are endemic to the south-central regions of the United States. They prefer to live in humid areas like swampy and hardwood forests7. However, they are popular in the pet trade. When cared for adequately, they can live up to 50 years as pets. Furthermore, the three-toed box turtle is the official reptile of the state of Missouri. 

The three-toed box turtle got its name from the number of toes on its back feet. It primarily has three toes on its back feet, but, confusingly, it could also have four. Its shell is dome-shaped and can grow up to 7 inches long.

It feeds on earthworms, strawberries, slugs, mushrooms, plants, and insects. Certain regions have banned keeping three-toed box turtles as pet turtles to avoid poachers capturing them in the wild to sell as pets.

Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)

The eastern box turtle is endemic to the Eastern part of the United States. Eastern box turtles are slow and terrestrial. The turtle’s shells are high and dome-shaped, with colors ranging from brown to black. There are yellow and orange lines or spots on their carapace. Furthermore, a male eastern box turtle has red irises, while females have brown irises. 

These turtles can grow up to 8 inches long with horned beaks. They are omnivores, feeding on a variety of animals and plants. Their diet contains earthworms, slugs, snails, mushrooms, beetles, flowers, and grubs. They avoid stressful environmental conditions as they prefer moderately wet forest areas with good drainage.

A close relative of these guys, the ornate box turtle, is the other terrestrial turtle native to the US.

Golden coin turtle (Cuora trifasciata)

The golden coin turtle, also known as the Chinese three-striped box turtle, has three black stripes on their brown shells. There are also yellow markings on their carapace with a black plastron. This species is endemic to southern China. The turtles feed on fish, carrion, frogs, and insects and can grow up to 10 inches long. 

They prefer to spend most of their time on land and are most active during the evening and afternoon transition periods. They are excellent rock climbers and fast burrowers.

Chinese box turtle (Cuora flavomarginata)

The Chinese box turtle is also known as the golden-headed turtle. It has a high dome-shaped shell, higher than other turtles with dome-shaped shells. It has a dark brown carapace with creamy yellow markings. Also, each gender has an extension of a yellow line from behind the eyes. The male turtle has a broader tail than its female counterpart. 

This turtle is endemic to Central China5. You will find it in the wild in Hunan, Chongqing, Henan, Anhui, eastern Sichuan, and along the Yangtze drainage. It's also present in Taiwan and Japan.

Southern painted turtle (Chrysemys dorsalis)

The southern painted turtle is native to water bodies in the south-central areas of the United States. It prefers living in shallow waters with muddy bottoms and dense vegetation. So, they can live in lakes, rivers, ponds, wetlands, oxbows, and reservoirs. They are the smallest members of the Chrysemys family and only grow to the maximum length of 6 inches.

They are adaptable as pet turtles. They feed on frogs, fish, algae, snails, duckweed, and crayfish. They prefer living in water areas with muddy or sandy bottoms because it gives them a place to lay their cream-colored eggs. Mating season occurs in late winter and spring seasons, and female turtles can lay up to 20 eggs per clutch.

Musk turtles (Sternotherus odoratus)

A musk turtle, also known as the common musk turtle or eastern musk turtle, is in the same family as mud turtles. People also call it stinkpot because of the foul smell it releases from the edge of its shell to chase off predators.

Common musk turtles have three dome-shaped shell colors. They are black, grey, and brown. Furthermore, they are little turtles with a maximum length of 5.5 inches. 

Their small sizes make them common pet turtles because they breed well in captivity for the pet trade. You will find the eastern musk turtle in southern Quebec, southern Ontario, and the eastern United States.

Also, they live in various wetlands, nearshore, and shallow water bodies. They are more aquatic and efficient at climbing than most turtles. The aquatic species nest in terrestrial areas. 

They feed on gastropods, bivalves, insects, crayfish, small fish, fish eggs, amphibians, crustaceans, green algae, and some parts of vascular plants. Female musk turtles can lay a maximum of 9 eggs per clutch

Eastern mud turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)

The eastern mud turtle, also known as the common mud turtle, is native to the United States. However, it can be tricky to identify these aquatic species because they do not have any markings or patterns on their shells, unlike the striped mud turtle also found in the US.

In addition, they only grow up to 4 inches in length. Eastern mud turtles have a yellowish-grey chin and throat, their limbs and tail are grey, and their eyes are yellow with dark clouds. 

They also have webbed feet. They are omnivorous and feed on insects, crustaceans, mollusks, amphibians, and aquatic vegetation. They prefer to live in freshwater regions in the Southeastern and Northeastern United States.

Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica)

The northern map turtle, also known as a common map turtle, is aquatic. It got its name from the patterned markings on its shell. The markings look like contour lines on a topographical map. Commonly, map turtles have varying sizes.

A male northern map turtle weighs between 150g to 400g, while females weigh between 0.67kg to 2.5kg. Furthermore, a female’s carapace length grows up to 27cm while males stop growing at 16cm. 

They like to stay in large bodies of water like ponds, rivers, and lakes. Northern map turtles are endemic to St. Lawrence River drainage basin areas around south Quebec and Ontario to northern Vermont, extending into the Great Lakes. You will also find it in the Susquehanna River system in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and the Delaware River. 

Their strong jaws facilitate their flesh-eating nature. They feed on mollusks, insects, and crayfish. Females can easily crack open mollusks and snails because they have stronger jaws and wider heads.

Sadly, IUCN listed northern map turtles as endangered in Kansas, Kentucky, and Maryland.

Spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera)

A spiny softshell is a sizeable aquatic turtle, one of the largest out of most freshwater turtles. They get their name from the structure of their shells which have cone-like projections at the edge of their carapaces.

Also, you can recognize a spiny softshell by its soft, fleshy, and elongated nose. Furthermore, they have webbed feet with three claws on each. 

Their diet consists of crayfish, aquatic insects, fish, and aquatic plants. A unique feature of spiny softshells is their ability to breathe oxygen and carbon dioxide while breathing air or underwater2. This breathing ability makes them bimodal breathers.

Smooth softshell turtle (Apalone mutica)

This species of softshell has anapsid skulls. Anapsid skulls are skulls that have no openings. They also have a pipe-like snout with round nostrils. Their shells are smooth, soft, and flexible. Female smooth softshells are larger than their male counterparts. A female’s shell length can grow up to 14 inches, while males grow up to 7 inches.

They mainly eat crayfish, fish, amphibians, and aquatic insects. However, they sometimes eat aquatic plants and vegetation. They are endemic to North America, with a preference for underwater areas with sand or mud bottoms. They avoid rocky areas and places with heavy vegetation.

Three-toed box turtle (Terrapene triunguis)

Three-toed box turtles are endemic to the south-central regions of the United States. They prefer to live in humid areas like swampy and hardwood forests7. However, they are popular in the pet trade. When cared for adequately, they can live up to 50 years as pets. Furthermore, the three-toed box turtle is the official reptile of the state of Missouri. 

The three-toed box turtle got its name from the number of toes on its back feet. It primarily has three toes on its back feet, but, confusingly, it could also have four. Its shell is dome-shaped and can grow up to 7 inches long.

It feeds on earthworms, strawberries, slugs, mushrooms, plants, and insects. Certain regions have banned keeping three-toed box turtles as pet turtles to avoid poachers capturing them in the wild to sell as pets.

Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)

The eastern box turtle is endemic to the Eastern part of the United States. Eastern box turtles are slow and terrestrial. The turtle’s shells are high and dome-shaped, with colors ranging from brown to black. There are yellow and orange lines or spots on their carapace. Furthermore, a male eastern box turtle has red irises, while females have brown irises. 

These turtles can grow up to 8 inches long with horned beaks. They are omnivores, feeding on a variety of animals and plants. Their diet contains earthworms, slugs, snails, mushrooms, beetles, flowers, and grubs. They avoid stressful environmental conditions as they prefer moderately wet forest areas with good drainage.

A close relative of these guys, the ornate box turtle, is the other terrestrial turtle native to the US.

Golden coin turtle (Cuora trifasciata)

The golden coin turtle, also known as the Chinese three-striped box turtle, has three black stripes on their brown shells. There are also yellow markings on their carapace with a black plastron. This species is endemic to southern China. The turtles feed on fish, carrion, frogs, and insects and can grow up to 10 inches long. 

They prefer to spend most of their time on land and are most active during the evening and afternoon transition periods. They are excellent rock climbers and fast burrowers.

Chinese box turtle (Cuora flavomarginata)

The Chinese box turtle is also known as the golden-headed turtle. It has a high dome-shaped shell, higher than other turtles with dome-shaped shells. It has a dark brown carapace with creamy yellow markings. Also, each gender has an extension of a yellow line from behind the eyes. The male turtle has a broader tail than its female counterpart. 

This turtle is endemic to Central China5. You will find it in the wild in Hunan, Chongqing, Henan, Anhui, eastern Sichuan, and along the Yangtze drainage. It's also present in Taiwan and Japan.

Southern painted turtle (Chrysemys dorsalis)

The southern painted turtle is native to water bodies in the south-central areas of the United States. It prefers living in shallow waters with muddy bottoms and dense vegetation. So, they can live in lakes, rivers, ponds, wetlands, oxbows, and reservoirs. They are the smallest members of the Chrysemys family and only grow to the maximum length of 6 inches.

They are adaptable as pet turtles. They feed on frogs, fish, algae, snails, duckweed, and crayfish. They prefer living in water areas with muddy or sandy bottoms because it gives them a place to lay their cream-colored eggs. Mating season occurs in late winter and spring seasons, and female turtles can lay up to 20 eggs per clutch.

Musk turtles (Sternotherus odoratus)

A musk turtle, also known as the common musk turtle or eastern musk turtle, is in the same family as mud turtles. People also call it stinkpot because of the foul smell it releases from the edge of its shell to chase off predators.

Common musk turtles have three dome-shaped shell colors. They are black, grey, and brown. Furthermore, they are little turtles with a maximum length of 5.5 inches. 

Their small sizes make them common pet turtles because they breed well in captivity for the pet trade. You will find the eastern musk turtle in southern Quebec, southern Ontario, and the eastern United States.

Also, they live in various wetlands, nearshore, and shallow water bodies. They are more aquatic and efficient at climbing than most turtles. The aquatic species nest in terrestrial areas. 

They feed on gastropods, bivalves, insects, crayfish, small fish, fish eggs, amphibians, crustaceans, green algae, and some parts of vascular plants. Female musk turtles can lay a maximum of 9 eggs per clutch

Eastern mud turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)

The eastern mud turtle, also known as the common mud turtle, is native to the United States. However, it can be tricky to identify these aquatic species because they do not have any markings or patterns on their shells, unlike the striped mud turtle also found in the US.

In addition, they only grow up to 4 inches in length. Eastern mud turtles have a yellowish-grey chin and throat, their limbs and tail are grey, and their eyes are yellow with dark clouds. 

They also have webbed feet. They are omnivorous and feed on insects, crustaceans, mollusks, amphibians, and aquatic vegetation. They prefer to live in freshwater regions in the Southeastern and Northeastern United States.

Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica)

The northern map turtle, also known as a common map turtle, is aquatic. It got its name from the patterned markings on its shell. The markings look like contour lines on a topographical map. Commonly, map turtles have varying sizes.

A male northern map turtle weighs between 150g to 400g, while females weigh between 0.67kg to 2.5kg. Furthermore, a female’s carapace length grows up to 27cm while males stop growing at 16cm. 

They like to stay in large bodies of water like ponds, rivers, and lakes. Northern map turtles are endemic to St. Lawrence River drainage basin areas around south Quebec and Ontario to northern Vermont, extending into the Great Lakes. You will also find it in the Susquehanna River system in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and the Delaware River. 

Their strong jaws facilitate their flesh-eating nature. They feed on mollusks, insects, and crayfish. Females can easily crack open mollusks and snails because they have stronger jaws and wider heads.

Sadly, IUCN listed northern map turtles as endangered in Kansas, Kentucky, and Maryland.