Exploring All The Types of Turtles in Ohio
Ohio is one of the smaller states. It has an average climate in US terms, with warm summers, cold winters, and moderate rainfall. You might not think of this state, perched as it is in the northeastern corner of the American Midwest, would be a great place to find turtles. You might then, be surprised to find that the State of Ohio has twelve native turtles. These are:
The Blanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)
We start our survey of Ohio’s native turtles with a fascinating creature – Blanding’s Turtle Emydoidea blandingii.
Blanding’s turtle is considered to be endangered both in the State and throughout the United States. It is a long-lived animal, but it doesn’t show signs of aging, even when it reaches as much as eighty or ninety years old. The pattern of behavior of this turtle is more or less the same as when it was a youngster. The turtle stays active, and it can even have sex and reproduce, right up into its nineties.
This is a medium-sized turtle growing to a carapace length of 9 ½ long. It has a brown or dark brown carapace, or upper shell, which is rather domed in shape. The shell features light-colored splotches. The plastron, or lower shell, is creamy yellow in color with even dark patterning. The plastron is hinged and closes up to protect the animal’s body when in danger, but it doesn’t shut up as tight as a box turtle would. The skin is dark brown with yellow patterning.
The Blandings turtle brumates in the winter. Brumation is a kind of hibernation, where the turtle hides in mud or debris. Females move as much as a kilometer away from their bromating site to make their nest and lay their eggs. They are very shy creatures, and if they are scared they will dive to the bottom of the pond and stay there until the coast is clear.
They are omnivores and eat crustaceans, small fish, frogs, tadpoles, berries, weeds, and water plants. They like clean, shallow, water which has good basking spots nearby.
The main threat to this species is predation and habitat loss. Climate change leading to the burning of habitat is a serious threat.
The Common Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica)
The common map turtle is a very handsome creature. It’s sometimes known as the Northern map turtle.
When juvenile this turtle has a dark brown or black carapace, or upper shell, with orange, yellow, and light brown markings with dark outlines, giving the look of a map. These pretty markings will fade with age. The skin is very dark green with primrose yellow markings, with a yellow blotch behind the eye.
The males and females can vary a lot in size, with the males growing only to 6″ long and twelve ounces in weight. Females, in contrast, grow to 10″ long and have been known to weigh as much as five and a half pounds.
They enjoy living in clear, open water with a choice of fallen logs that they can use for sunbathing. They spend the winter months under the water, absorbing oxygen through their skin.
They are essentially carnivores, and the females, who have large heads and jaws, live in the main on a diet of mollusks, although they enjoy the occasional crayfish or insect. Males have a similar diet, but because they are smaller, they eat smaller mollusks. This species is not under threat in Ohio.
The Midland Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata)
This turtle is one of the highly decorative painted turtle family and it is one of the most commonly seen turtles in Ohio. It has a lovely black carapace with fine vermillion red lines and a patterned edge of bright red. The plastron, or lower shell, is mustard-colored, the neck has red stripes and the head has clear yellow stripes. If you see a turtle in Ohio, it is very likely to be one of these as they are very common in the state. This subspecies is defined by a gray mark that can be seen on the plastron. They have red legs, unlike the red-eared slider.
Females grow to have a carapace that is up to ten inches long but the males are usually quite a bit smaller. This difference in size is because of the need for females to produce and store eggs.
They like water with plenty of water weeds and a muddy bottom. They have to bask in the sun to obtain energy, and so they look for fallen logs and flat stones. In the winter the Midland painted turtles hibernate. Painted turtles are thought to have been around for fifteen million years – clearly, they are survivors.
The Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
The red-eared slider is one of the larger turtles in Ohio. It can grow to a carapace length of 16″, but 8″ is more common. The red slider is one of the most frequently found as pet turtles throughout the world. It’s the number one pet favorite turtle in the US. The red-eared slider does not, of course, have red ears, instead, it has a bright red stripe or splash on the side of its head in the place where its ears would be if it had them. (Turtles do of course have ears, but they are internal.)
These turtles have to spend time in the sun to regulate their body temperature. They are often to be observed basking in the sun, usually in groups. They enjoy living in warm, still water in lakes, small ponds, and swamps.
The red-eared slider is something of a danger to other turtles. It is listed as one of the world’s most invasive species and will out-compete other turtles in its environment. If you keep this turtle as a pet be extremely careful not to allow it to escape into the wild, or to release an unwanted pet.
The Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata)
This turtle is not permitted to be kept as a pet in Ohio due to its conservation status.
This is rather a little guy that will reach a carapace length of only 5″. The spotted turtle derives its name from the primrose spots which freckle its black or very dark brown shell. They can be found in shallow water, and they spend most of their time in the water. They are omnivores and live on a diet of insects, crustaceans, tadpoles, small reptiles, worms, and vegetation.
The Wood Turtle (Clemmys insculpta)
This turtle is a medium-sized animal that grows to between 6″ and 10″ in carapace length. The carapace is dark brown and has a rather sculptured look. It’s this sculpted or woody appearance that gives this turtle its name, not the fact that it lives in woodland – although it does.
They like streams with hard bottoms and, as the name suggests, they often live in wooded areas. They need varied weeds and greenery alongside their watery home so that they have a place to forage for food. They also need a sandy spot nearby for nest making. This type of habitat is under threat and is leading to a reduction in the number of wood turtles. Another serious issue is the illegal taking of turtles from the wild. People unthinkingly take these animals and keep them as pets, and this is strictly against the law.
The Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)
The Eastern box turtle is one of the family of box turtles. These turtles can hinge up their plastron, or lower shell, forming a very tight box to protect the legs, head, body, and tail of the turtle. This turtle grows to around 5″ in length and has a dark shell, colored brown or black, that has bright orange markings which get less distinctive as the turtle gets older. These little turtles live to be thirty years of age or more.
They can be found in scrubland, marshes, woodland, and grassy meadows, but are always close to fresh water. When temperatures rise, they find a soft place to dig down into to find a cooler temperature below ground.
The Ouachita Map Turtle (Graptemys ouachitensis)
This turtle has a very dark upper shell or carapace with thin lines that look a bit like a relief map. The plastron is pale primrose yellow, and the skin has thin pale yellow colored lines. Adult males have a plastron length of 3″ to 5″. Females are a lot bigger, growing to 8″ to 10″ long.
They can be found in slow-moving water, including. Ponds, ditches, lakes, and streams. They are omnivores and eat a wide variety of foods.
The Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
We now look at one of the largest turtles to be found in Ohio. The common snapping turtle can grow up to 70 pounds in weight. Males grow to be larger than females. Individual turtles have been recorded as living for over a hundred years. A big specimen can grow to a carapace length of fourteen inches, and the species can be recognized by their large heads. You may observe barbels around its head and neck, it does of course have a very long neck, and it has exceptionally strong and powerful legs. It’s the long neck of this turtle that gives it its Latin name – serpentine – meaning snake-like.
Although they can be very aggressive when on land when they are in the water they tend to flee from danger. They prefer water that has a muddy bottom which they use as a hiding place. You are allowed to take snapping turtles from the wild in Ohio.
The Common Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus)
The stinkpot only makes a bad, skunk-like smell when he’s scared. When he’s happy and contented, he is just a normal, everyday guy.
Growing to a little short of a shell length of five inches, they have a steeply angled upper shell, or carapace, that is dark brown in color. Their dark-skinned head has 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.
The Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera spinifera)
This large and rather beautiful turtle is widely distributed throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and luckily, it’s currently not under threat.
With a carapace length of nineteen inches, they are a rather squashed-looking turtle with a leathery, soft-feeling shell that has stubby spines along the front edge of the upper shell, or carapace. Males are olive green in color and they tend to keep their juvenile coloring, whereas females are a dimmer brownish-gray color.
They live in larger bodies of water where they can find plenty of food and have room to hunt at dawn and dusk, their favorite times.
Laying clutches of ten to twelve eggs in sandy soil, these turtles live to be as much as fifty years old, and are widely established in Ohio.
The Midland Smooth Softshell Turtle (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 throughout the state of Ohio, especially in water with a sandy or muddy bottom. They are omnivores and are not considered to be under threat.
The Mississippi Map Turtle Graptemys pseudogeographica 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 Ohio.
Is It Legal For Me To Own A Turtle In Ohio?
You are free to keep a pet turtle in Ohio, except for all sea turtles and some endangered species of native turtles. If you want to keep native species, then you need a Non-commercial Propagating License. This entitles you to take up to four Snapping or Softshell turtles from the wild.
There are no restrictions on the keeping of non-native turtles, except that you must not release them into the wild.
Can I Buy And Sell Turtles In Ohio?
Yes, you can, but you will need a Commercial Propagating License. The turtles you buy and sell must be captive bred, legally captured from the wild, or the offspring of legally captured animals.You cannot legally commercialize in any way a turtle taken from the wild, except for softshell and snapping turtles.
Does The Four Inch Law Apply To The State Of Ohio?
To protect human health and also to protect very young turtles, the Federal Four-Inch Law was created. As it is a Federal law, yes, it does apply to Ohio. Here is the reference to the law:
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.’ You can find more information on the laws related to turtles in Ohio here.
Turtle Rescue And Rehabilitation In Ohio
Spearheading turtle rescue and rehabilitation in the state is Arrowhead Reptile Rescue. If you are interested in helping turtles, or if you find a sick or injured turtle (or any other reptile, come to that) these are the people to call.
