The Freshwater Turtles Of Arkansas

The beautiful state of Arkansas offers some ideal habitats for turtles. Forests, mountains, lakes, bayous, and many rivers are home to some seventeen turtle species.

The Laws On Turtles In The State Of Arkansas

As ever, we advise that you consult your local wildlife authority for the most up-to-date information.

Can I Keep A Turtle As A Pet In Arkansas?

You are allowed to keep pet turtles in Arkansas, up to six turtles in any one household. If you want to keep more than this, you need a license. You are not allowed to sell your pet turtles. You are not allowed to own chicken turtles, alligator snapping turtles, or box turtles without a permit. You may not own any of the seven sea turtle species, or any vulnerable or endangered species.

Can Turtles Be Commercialized In Arkansas?

You may buy, sell, and breed turtles, and you can hunt and catch wild turtles. The laws are fairly complex, and it is worth checking first. Only Arkansas residents are allowed to hold a license for these activities, and you are not allowed to trade in box turtles, or alligator snapping turtles with a carapace length of more than 5″.

Does The Four Inch Law Apply In Arkansas?

Yes, it does. As a Federal law, it applies in Arkansas. Here is the reference to the law, which prohibits the possession of a turtle with a carapace length of less than four inches.

Code of federal regulations, title 21, volume 8, part 1240 ‘Control of communicable diseases’, subpart D ‘Specific Administrative Decisions Regarding Interstate Shipments’, section 1240.62 ‘Turtles intrastate and interstate requirements.’

Alligator Snapping Turtle Macroclemys temminckii

This astonishing turtle is considered to be vulnerable in the state of Arkansas. One of the world’s largest turtles, its scaly prehistoric looks and ferocious bite make it seem like a creature from an earlier time. Growing to as much as 40″ long, and weighing in at up to 180 lb or even more, the alligator snapping turtle is a formidable creature and one that should be treated with extreme caution.

Its jaw is very strong, and it’s perfectly capable of breaking one of your bones. The head is massive, and it has spikes on its chin and cheeks, as well as that hooked beak-like mouth. The carapace, or upper shell, can be gray, green, brown, or black, and has three prominent ridges which are spiked, almost like medieval armor.

One interesting feature of this turtle is that it has a tongue that it uses as a lure. At the end of its tongue, it has a worm-like appendage. It opens its mouth and lets the “worm” wriggle in the water, attracting unsuspecting fish to investigate. Then a snap of its jaws and dinner is served.

When it comes to diet, alligator snapping turtles are opportunistic omnivores. They eat other turtles, water birds, fish, snakes, dead things, mollusks, and small mammals that they may find swimming in the water. They are generally found in rivers flowing into the Gulf of Mexico.

Living to be as much as 120 years old, alligator snapping turtles have a long reproductive life, starting breeding when they are about eighteen to twenty pounds in weight and around 13″ long. Despite this, due to loss of habitat and human predation, the alligator snapping turtle is designated by the IUCN as “threatened”.

Common Map Turtle Graptemys geographica

The common map turtle is a very attractive creature and is also known as the Northern map turtle. When young, this turtle has a dark brown carapace, or upper shell, with orange, yellow, and tan patterning with dark outlines, giving the appearance of a map. These pretty marking fade with age. The skin is dark green with yellow markings, with a yellow splash behind the eye.

The males and females vary greatly in size, with the males growing only to 6″ long and ¾ lb in weight. Females, on the other hand, grow to 10″ long and can weigh as much as five and a half pounds. They enjoy living in open water with fallen branches that they use for sunbathing. They spend November to April under water, absorbing oxygen directly from the water, which must be well-oxygenated.

They are basically carnivores, and the females, who have large heads and jaws, live principally on a diet of mollusks, although they enjoy the odd crayfish or insects. Males have a similar diet, but they eat smaller mollusks. Habitat loss is the most significant challenge that these turtles face. They are very shy and don’t appreciate the nearby presence of humans. They are considered to be of least concern, with regard to conservation status.

Common Musk Turtle (Stinkpot) Sternotherus odoratus

Poor stinkpot. He only makes a bad smell when he’s scared. When he’s happy and contented, he is just a normal, everyday guy.

Growing to just shy of five inches, they have a steep upper shell, or carapace, that is dark brown in color. Their dark-skinned head features yellow stripes and a couple of barbels under their chin. They like to live in shallow, slow-moving, or even still water with a muddy bottom that they can hide in. They like water that has vegetation; they tend to hide out during the day and hunt at night. Like most turtles, they are omnivorous. This turtle’s conservation status in Arkansas is of the least concern.

Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina serpentine

One of the biggest freshwater turtles, it gets its Latin name from its very long, mobile, snake-like neck. It has a big head and sometimes sports barbels. Growing to 14″ long, and anything up to seventy pounds in weight, the snapping turtle is not aggressive. He can, however, give you a serious bite if he is trying to defend himself, so take care if you are handling one of these creatures.

They like to live in large bodies of water that have a good supply of food. They are omnivorous eaters, with a preference for more protein when they are younger. The common snapping turtle can tolerate a wide diversity of weather and seems quite adaptable. It is not considered threatened at this time.

Eastern Box Turtle Terrapene carolina carolina

This turtle is a really beautiful creature with a black or brown carapace marked with exquisite yellow patterning. They grow to around 5″ long. The males are more brightly colored than the females and have pink or red eyes, whereas the females have dark brown eyes.

Like all box turtles they can seal themselves up snugly and tight as their plastron, or lower shell, can hinge up to protect the soft body, head, tail, and legs. They hunt during the day, eating small insects, crickets, worms, mollusks, and crustaceans. If the weather gets too hot or too dry, they will dig themselves a burrow where they can hide in a temperature and humidity that feels right. This is a vulnerable turtle in the state of Arkansas.

Eastern River Cooter Pseudemys concinna concinna

The Eastern river cooter is one of the bigger freshwater turtles that you can spot in the United States. Adults can grow to 16 in length. They have dark shells and look out for a “C” shaped mark at the back of the carapace. The plastron, or lower shell, is yellow or orange in color with darker markings which are more prominent on younger animals.

The Eastern river cooter has a very unusual attribute. They have a sac at the end of their tails, called the cloaca bursae. This sac allows them to breathe underwater. Because they can stay underwater for long periods, they can be hard to spot and to study.

They prefer living in clear, deep, flowing water, unlike many turtles that typically enjoy slow-moving water. Their diet is unusual too, being mainly water plants and algae, with the odd insect thrown in. Their conservation status in the State of Arkansas is of the least concern.

Eastern Mud Turtle Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum

The Eastern mud turtle is often just called the common mud turtle. Even though this turtle only grows to be 4″ long, they are known for having a ferocious bite. Although they are toothless, they have very strong jaws that can bear down hard on a careless finger.

They live to be over fifty years old. Although you are allowed to keep Eastern mud turtles in Arkansas, you need to find an adult so that you don’t break the 4″ law.

These turtles are avid swimmers, and they enjoy living in rivers with gravel bottoms. These form their favorite hunting grounds, where they search for insects, mollusks, crustaceans, and more. They are known to be exceptionally messy eaters, so if you plan to keep one as a pet, be sure that you have an excellent filtration system in your aquarium.

Eastern Spiny Softshell Apalone spinifera spinifera

One of the largest freshwater turtles in the United States, the eastern spiny softshell has a flat shell that feels a bit like rubber. There are small spines along the edge of the shell, giving it its name. Females are large, growing to about 19″ long, whereas males only make it to about 10″ long. They have a very pointed, almost pig-like nose. In color, it ranges from brown to brownish yellow. The plastron is pale lemon to white in color.

It has webbed feet that are useful because it spends almost all of its life in the water. It loves to swim and prefers clear waterways with little vegetation. Its conservation status in Arkansas is of the least concern.

False Map Turtle Graptemys pseudogeographica pseudogeographica

This is a fairly plain-looking turtle with a brown patterned carapace. Females grow to 10″ long, males to just 5″. They can live to be 50 years old. You will find these turtles in slow-moving or stagnant water, lakes and ponds. They eat a varied diet of insects, mollusks, crustaceans, fish, and vegetation. They are not considered to be under threat.

Hieroglyphic River Cooter Pseudemys concinna hieroglyphica

This turtle gets its name from its beautifully patterned carapace. Dark brown in color and patterned in red and orange, it has dark skin striped with yellow. It is altogether an outstanding-looking creature.

It can reach up to 13″ in length and lives for up to forty years. It prefers to live in flowing streams, but it can also be found in ponds and lakes. It is omnivorous, and its conservation status is of the least concern.

Midland Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta marginata

The Midland painted turtle is one of the very lovely painted turtle family. It has a lovely black carapace with delicate red lines and a red patterned edge. The plastron is golden, the neck has red stripes and the head has yellow stripes. It is one of the most readily observed freshwater turtles throughout the United States. This subspecies is identified by a gray mark that can be seen on the plastron.

Females grow to be as much as ten inches long, and the males are a bit smaller, as is the case with many turtle species. This difference in size is accounted for by the need for the females to produce and store eggs.

They enjoy water with plenty of vegetation and a muddy bottom. They need to bask in the sun, and so look for rocks and fallen logs. In the winter, they hibernate. Painted turtles are thought to have been around for fifteen million years – they are obviously survivors.

Midland Smooth Softshell Apalone mutica mutica

This is one of the softshell family of turtles and is a rather dull-looking creature. It grows to around 13″, and has the usual rubbery soft shell of its family. They can be found distributed widely around the state of Oklahoma, particularly in water with muddy or sandy bottoms. They are omnivorous and are not considered to be under threat.

Mississippi Map Turtle Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii

This pretty turtle is very popular as a pet, probably due to its attractive carapace that looks rather like a contour map. They grow to around 10″ long (females) and 5″ (males). They live up to fifty years of age. They have a long-ish neck and tail, and a pale rim around the eye. They are omnivorous and live in slow-moving or even stagnant water. They are not considered to be under threat in Arkansas.

Mississippi Mud Turtle Kinosternon subrubrum hippocrepis

A small and frankly rather dull-looking turtle that grows to about 4 ¾” long. They live to be up to forty years old or more and live on a diet of bugs, worms, tadpoles, crustaceans, and the like.

They prefer to live partly on the land and enjoy basking in groups. When not enjoying the sun, they hide out at the bottom of shallow streams and ponds. They are mild-tempered and make good pets. They are not considered to be under threat in Arkansas.

Ouachita Map Turtle Graptemys ouachitensis ouachitensis

This turtle has a dark carapace with lines that look a little like a relief map. The plastron is yellow, and the skin has thin pale yellow colored lines. Males grow to between 3″ to 5″, females from 8″ to 10″. They can be found in slow-moving water – lakes, ponds, and streams. They have an omnivorous diet. Their conservation status is “Least Concern”.

Red-eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans

The red-eared slider is one of Arkansas’s larger turtles. It can grow to have a 16″ long carapace, although an 8″ length is more common. It’s one of the most popular pet turtles in the world, and probably the number one pet turtle in the United States. The red-eared slider doesn’t actually have red ears, but it has a red stripe on the side of its head where its ears would be if it had external ears.

They need to bask in the sun to regulate their body temperature. They are frequently observed basking in the sun in groups. They enjoy warm, still water in ponds, small lakes, and swamps. It is listed as one of the world’s most invasive species and will out-compete other turtles in its environment. They are not considered to be endangered in Arkansas.

Southern Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta dorsalis

The Southern painted turtle is one of the beautiful painted turtle family. The dark shell has a bold line from front to back, usually vermillion red, although it can be flame orange or even yellow. The plastron is plain and pale cream. It grows to between 5′ and 7′, and can live for up to thirty years. It is omnivorous and can be found in slow-moving water, ponds, and even ditches. Its conservation status is of the least concern.

Razorback Musk Turtle Sternotherus carinatus

This is a very distinctive turtle with sharply-edged scutes. They are colored from pale gray to dark brown and grow to be five inches long. They are carnivorous and enjoy eating mollusks and crustaceans. They are happy in most kinds of fresh water and are not considered to be under threat.

Mississippi Map Turtle Graptemys pseudographica kohnii

This pretty turtle is very popular as a pet, probably due to its attractive carapace that looks a bit like a contour map. They grow to around ten inches long (females) and five inches long (males). They have a lifespan of up to fifty years of age. You can identify them in part by their long-ish neck and tail, and the pale rim that is visible around their eyes. They are omnivores and live in slow-moving or even stagnant water. They are not thought to be under threat in Arkansas.

Missouri River Cooter Pseudemys concinna metteri

The Missouri River cooter has a very dark brown or olive green carapace with yellow lines. It is often hard to see the lines as the shell may be covered with algae. The plastron is creamy-yellow in color, and the dark skin is very vividly patterned with yellow lines and swirls.

This turtle grows to as much as 15″. It prefers streams that have a good flow, although they can be found living in lakes. It prefers a mainly vegetarian diet, with the occasional bug just for fun. It is not considered to be under threat in the state of Arkansas.

Ornate Box Turtle Terrapene ornata ornate

The ornate box turtle is a member of the box turtle family. Box turtles all have the same attribute – their plastron, or lower shell, is hinged, and it can snap its shell tightly close when threatened. This turtle is prettily patterned, as the name suggests, with a dark carapace ornamented with delicate yellow and orange lines and spots. The plastron is lemon-colored, and their dark skin is also lightly spotted.

Growing to 7′ long, they can live up to a hundred years of age. They prefer to live on the land, although they need to be near water. They are omnivores, and their conservation status is “Vulnerable”.

Pallid Spiny Softshell Apalone spinifera pallida

This is a sub-species of the spiny softshell turtle. With its leathery shell and characteristic long neck, this large turtle enjoys perching just underneath the water and using its sharp nose like a snorkel.

The white spots on its shell that can be seen on juveniles are ringed with black. A medium to large-sized turtle, females can grow to be 20″ long. It enjoys slow-moving waters, lakes, ponds, rivers, and marshy areas. They are carnivores, and not considered to be under threat.

Three-toed Box Turtle Terrapene carolina triunguis

The three-toed box turtle is the official reptile of the State of Missouri and can be found throughout the south-central part of the United States. It gets its name from the three toes that can be found on its back feet – but confusingly, some three-toed turtles have four toes. It’s likely that these are turtles that have interbred with other subspecies of box turtles that enter their range.

This turtle grows up to around 7″ long, and the dome on its shell is set a little bit further back than in other species. The three-toed turtle eats a wide range of food, from earthworms, crickets, and slugs to fruit, to eggs, and to mushrooms. It’s notable that three-toed box turtles really don’t like to be watched when they are eating – so if you have one as a pet, give them their privacy.

Western Chicken Turtle Deirochelys reticularia miaria

The Western chicken turtle has a long neck, that some people think looks a bit like a chicken’s neck. They have a dark brown oval-shaped shell with a very light patterning. The plastron is pale in color. The skin is dark and striped in green and yellow.\ They grow to 10″ long, with females being slightly larger than males. They prefer still waters and are omnivores. Their conservation status is of the least concern.

Western Spiny Softshell Apalone spinifera hartwegi

This member of the softshell family can be identified by the soft spines on its carapace. It also has that typical softshell pig-like snout. They are usually light brown or olive-green in color. They display sexual dimorphism, with males growing to half the size of females, which can grow to 20″. They are found throughout the state, are omnivorous, and are of the least concern from the conservation viewpoint.

Want To Find Out How You Can Help Turtles In Arkansas?

A good place to find out more about turtles and other reptiles in the state of Arkansas is the Little Rock-based Reptile rescue Centre.