Explore The Wonderful Types Of Turtles In Florida
Florida offers the perfect range of environments for turtles. It has everything from swamps and rivers, ponds and estuaries, canals and streams, and of course, it is surrounded by warm, blue, sub-tropical seas that are home to several sea turtle species. The climate is hot and moist – just what many turtles like the most.
It is a highly populated (with humans) state, and although it has been the subject of rampant development, often without regard to wildlife habitats, there is still a considerable amount of wilderness where turtles can thrive. Notably, the Everglades wilderness area, but there are an additional fifteen substantial wilderness locations.
As well as native species, in Florida, you can find pet turtles that have escaped from captivity or have been deliberately or accidentally released into the wild. Some of these have even managed to breed.
Don’t Take Turtles From the Wild – It’s The Law!
Turtles can be very expensive to buy. Your local pet store should be able to offer proof that it is selling only captive-bred animals, and that is obviously the right thing to do. But given their high cost, it might be tempting to buy from a less scrupulous seller or even to try to capture one from the wild. This is definitely against the law and should be avoided at all costs.
If a wild turtle comes and makes its home in your outdoor pond, then lucky you! It’s not illegal to have a wild turtle living outside on the grounds of your home, provided you don’t try to cage it up or restrict its movements.
Box Turtles – Amazingly Able To Protect Themselves
Florida is home to four species of box turtle. Box turtles are amazing! Whereas just about all turtles and tortoises have the ability to withdraw their head, legs, and tail inside their shell to avoid danger, box turtles take things a step further.
They have shells that can snap shut, sealing the whole of the animal inside a hard shell box. This capability is obviously very helpful if you want to survive predator attacks. It makes them extremely interesting reptiles to observe, and accounts for their popularity as pets although it isn’t a good idea to tease them just to make them shut their shell up. This will stress them and could even lead to health issues. If you want to learn more about these clever creatures, a good source of information on box turtles is here.
1. The Eastern Box Turtle Terrapene Carolina Carolina
The Eastern box turtle is mainly found in the south of Florida. It’s a very pretty turtle that grows to about 5″ in length, and can live for up to thirty years. They have dark shells, almost black in color, with orange markings.
They are confined to living in water; they can be found in woodland, grassy meadows, and scrubby areas. These turtles like to dig burrows where they spend time if it gets too hot or dry out in the open. They spend their days actively searching for food; they like to eat crickets, mollusks, worms, and also vegetation.
2. The Florida Box Turtle Terrapene carolina bauri
The Florida box turtle is another very striking creature, with a very dark brown shell with vivid orange markings. They can also be identified by the bright yellow stripes that they display along the side of their head. They grow to around six and a half inches long, and love for about thirty years.
These attractive turtles can be found in ponds and marshes, and they are at their happiest when they are loafing around in shallow, warm, water. They are not all that fond of actually swimming. Florida box turtles, like most turtles, are omnivores – they will pretty well eat anything that comes along.
3. The Gulf Coast Box Turtle Terrapene carolina major
The big boys of the common box turtle gang, they grow to 8 ½” long, and live to be around forty years old. They are very dark in color with the odd orange or yellow splotch. They are not exactly striking to look at, and they are rather shy and reclusive. These like brackish water – a mixture of fresh and salt water. In captivity, they need high humidity that can be provided by a mister. Like all Florida turtles, they enjoy air temperatures in the 80s and warm water. They are omnivorous and will eat greens, especially dark greens, mollusks, worms, and bugs.
4. The Three-toed Box Turtles Terrapene Carolina Triunguis
The three-toed box turtle is a sub-species of the common box turtle, and can be identified by the number of toes on their back feet; three, or sometimes four. These pretty turtles live around the Florida panhandle and can be recognized because the shell on their back is highly domed and set back. These like to live around fields and woodland, and of course, enjoy being near water although they don’t spend a lot of time swimming.
They do enjoy burrowing and use burrows to regulate their temperature when it gets too hot or cool for their liking. They eat a varied diet of vegetation, worms, bug, and even fruit. It must be healthy because they grow to be just 7″ long but can live to be a hundred years or more old.
5. The Chicken Turtle – Also Known As The American Snake-Necked Turtle Deirochelys reticularia reticularia
Growing up to ten inches in length, there are two subspecies to be found in Florida: the Florida chicken turtle and the eastern chicken turtle. They can be distinguished by their coloration. The Florida chicken turtle has a green shell with wide orange and yellow banding, whereas the eastern chicken turtle has more of a net-like pattern in yellow. As their alternative name suggests, they do have a rather long, snake-like neck as they peer from side to side surveying the scene.
They like to be around slow-moving bodies of water such as the estuaries and tributaries of rivers, and so they are commonly found in wetlands. These mainly eat small fish and shellfish, as well as vegetable matter. They are relatively short-lived in turtle terms, living for between twenty and thirty years.
6. The Eastern River Cooter Pseudemys concinna
This very handsome creature can be found in fast-moving water. There is a subspecies the Suwanee River Cooter, which is found mainly around the Suwanee River, as the name suggests, and which is listed as endangered. It is illegal to have the subspecies in captivity.
The eastern river cooter grows to around 16″ long, making it one of the larger turtles to be found in Florida. They live up to forty years old and have dark greenish black shells with yellow markings which are C-shaped. Suwanee River cooters are similar in appearance but have distinctly darker coloration. They enjoy swimming, and eat a mixed diet of green stuff, small fish, insects, and the like, with younger individuals eating more protein.
7. The Florida Red-Bellied Cooter – Pseudemys nelson
This is a large turtle growing up to 13 inches in length and living for around forty years. They are found in the Okefenokee Swamp which stretches for Florida to Georgia. They get their name from their distinctive plastron or lower shell.
Unlike many Florida turtles, they eat a completely herbivorous diet, and in the wild, they can be seen enjoying soaking up the sun on a warm patch near the water’s edge. They are enthusiastic swimmers and divers.
8. The Peninsula Cooter – Pseudemys peninsularis
This is a medium-sized turtle that grows up to around 13 inches long and lives for thirty years or more. They are similar in appearance to the red-bellied cooter but have lighter colored plastrons as well as some yellow or orange markings.
They can be found right across the Florida peninsula, and enjoy clear moving water. Happy to spend most of their time in the water, the adults eat an almost purely vegetable diet, whereas young peninsula cooters eat worms, bugs, and small fish, which give them the protein they need to grow.
9. The Diamondback Terrapin Malaclemys terrapin
This famously beautiful turtle has pale silvery gray skin and distinctive diamond patterns on its carapace. They grow to 11 inches in size and live for around twenty-five years. There are five subspecies to be found in Florida, mainly along the eastern side of the state. Look for them in brackish, slow-moving water, for example, around estuaries.
There are five subspecies of this turtle:
- The Carolina Diamondback terrapin – Malaclemys terrapin centrata
- The East Florida Diamondback terrapin – Malaclemys terrapin tequesta
- The Mangrove Diamondback terrapin – Malaclemys terrapin rhizophorarum
- The Mississippi Diamondback terrapin – Malaclemys terrapin pileata
- The Ornate Diamondback terrapin – Malaclemys terrapin macrospilota
The Mississippi and the Carolina subspecies are found in Florida, but may not be native. The various sub-species can be identified by differences in pattern and coloration, but it can be hard for the non-expert to tell them apart without a close examination.
All of these beautiful creatures are considered to be under threat, due to loss of habitat, pollution, and largely, the illegal pet trade. They eat almost exclusively worms, mollusks, and crustaceans such as shrimp and small fish. They occasionally are known to eat green stuff, but it isn’t their favorite thing.
10. Barbour’s Map Turtle – Graptemys barbouri
This beautiful turtle is protected and lives to be twenty years old. It is recognizable by the spikes on its shell – there are between two and four of them. It’s the largest turtle in the map family and grows to 11″ long. With their grey shells and skin colored green, black, and yellow they have been collected from the wild by turtle enthusiasts over the years and due to this, as well as pollution of their favorite fast-flowing water, they are considered to be threatened. They are mainly carnivores, eating small fish, crustaceans, insects, and worms.
11. The False Map Turtle – Graptemys pseudogeographica pseudogeographica
Sometimes called the sawback turtle, this guy grows to 10 ½” long, and lives to be as much as fifty years of age. The sawback name comes from the noticeable raised ridge along the length of its dark brown shell, which has pretty yellow markings. These are extremely popular turtles to own as pets and can be easily found in pet stores.
They are widespread around the state, wherever there is fast-flowing water. Living on a typical turtle diet of small creatures and a few veggies, they tend to enjoy warm temperatures in the high 80 degrees F.
12. The Eastern Mud Turtle – Kinosternon subrubrum
Also known as the common mud turtle, this guy is notable for his bite! He doesn’t have teeth, just a very sharp beak, so don’t get on the wrong side of him. Growing to 4″ in length and living to fifty years old, you should be aware that it is not lawful to keep a turtle under four inches long as a pet, so if you are looking to have one of these, you need to find an adult specimen.
They love to swim and they also like to root around in the gravel bottoms of rivers. If you ever see an eastern mud turtle chowing down on their favorite small crustaceans and bugs, you will be witness to a very messy eater.
13. The Florida Mud Turtle – Kinosternon subrubrum steindachneri
Also known by the interesting name of the cow dung cooter, the Florida mud turtle grows to 5″ long and lives for up to twenty years. At one time, the Florida mud turtle was considered to be an eastern mud turtle, but it is now recognized as a separate species all of its own.
With their dark rather plain shell, they are not especially striking to look at. They can be found throughout the Florida peninsula, favoring swamp areas and slow-moving rivers. They eat the usual turtle diet of whatever comes along.
14. The Striped Mud Turtle – Kinosternon baurii
This little turtle was once on the endangered list but is no longer considered to be at risk. Growing to just 5″ long, and living to be around twenty years old, they love to live in brackish water – water with just a bit of salt in it. With its oval brown shell and yellow stripes, the striped mud turtle lives up to its name. They do love to swim, and like all mud turtles, they make a horrible mess when they are eating their usual diet of bugs, worms, and a bit of veggies.
15. The Common Musk Turtle Sternotherus odoratus
Here comes Mr. Stinky. The common musk turtle when scared gives off a skunk-like smell. They also bite, so beware. Growing to around 4 ½” long, these little guys live for up to sixty years old.
Dark brown in color with barbels on their neck, they may be hard to spot in the wild as they are mainly active at night. They like shallow, lazy water with plenty of vegetation, and eat the usual omnivorous turtle diet.
16. The Loggerhead Musk Turtle – Sternotherus minor
The loggerhead musk turtle is another little guy, growing to just 4 ½” long. They live for around twenty years. This turtle gets its name from its large head that looks a bit like a log. Brown shells and gray skin make for perfect camouflage.
They enjoy living in northern Florida with its beautiful clear springs. They are mainly carnivorous, but they do eat the occasional mouthful of greens for their health.
17. The Southern Painted Turtle – Chrysemys dorsalis
At a maximum size of just 7″ long, these are the smallest of the painted turtle family. They live to be fifty years old or more. With their black or dark brown shell, striped with orange and yellow, they are rather handsome.
They like slow-moving water, and can often be spotted basking on a flat rock, enjoying the hot Florida sun. Like most turtles, they enjoy a mixed diet of bugs, small water creatures, and green stuff.
18. The Red-Eared Slider – Trachemys scripta elegans
Growing to 14″ long, and very attractively marked, the red-eared slider was introduced to Florida and is now considered to be invasive. They are found in quiet waters and swampy or marshy areas. It is illegal to possess a red-eared slider in Florida unless you can prove that you had it before 2007.
19. The Yellow Bellied Slider – Trachemys scripta scripta
The yellow-bellied slider grows to about 13″ long and lives for around thirty years. If you spot a turtle in Florida, there is a good chance that it will be one of these guys. They really love to soak up the sun, and you will often see them basking on rocks – they generally have a favorite one that they use every day. These have dark greenish shells with a yellow plastron (the bottom shell). They may also have yellow markings on their skin. They enjoy the typical turtle diet of worms, bugs, mollusks, and a few greens.
20. The Aligator Snapping Turtle – Macrochelys temmincki
This big boy grows to 26″ long and can weigh up to 220lb, living to be seventy years old. A protected species, it’s one of the world’s largest turtles. They look very fierce, with armored scales, spikes, and a very strong beak that can do serious damage to the unwary.
You can find them in certain parts of the Suwanee River only. Distinctly carnivorous, they eat small fish, shellfish, amphibians of all kinds, and the occasional bit of vegetation.
21. The Common Snapping Turtle – Chelydra serpentine
Another large turtle that can grow to 20″ long and live to be fifty years old. They can be dangerous, as they have a serious bite, so they should only be handled by an expert. They have a long beak that looks as if it has an overbite and a saw-edged tail. This along with long sharp claws makes them a pretty fearsome creature. They are dark olive green or brown in color.
They love to swim and seem to need a lot of space, being located in lakes and large estuaries. As you might expect, these big turtles feed on small fish, crustaceans, insects, and mollusks with just the occasional bite of greenery.
22. The Florida Softshell Turtle – Apalone ferox
This species is unusual in that there is a big size difference between males and females. Males grow to 12″ long, females to 24″ long. This is almost certainly for allow for egg production. The Florida is the largest softshell turtle in the world.
They are dark green or brown in color, with an under shell, or plastron, that can range in color from white to gray. In shape, they are pretty much as flat as a pancake. Known for being fast movers whether swimming or on land, they prefer water that has a sandy bottom. They feed on the usual turtle diet of small aquatic animals and insects.
23. The Gulf Coast Smooth Softshell Turtle – Apalone mutica calvata
The gulf coast smooth softshell turtle grows to 10 ½” long (males) and 14″ long (females) They love to be around twenty-five years old. Again, the difference in size between the sexes is probably accounted for by the need for extra size to carry eggs successfully.
Also found in Louisiana, this is a subspecies of the Florida softshell turtle. They look a bit like large, dark brown, leathery Frisbees. Their faces have an appealing little snout. They are happy swimmers, and they love to bask in the sun.
24. Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell – Apalone spinifera aspera
Here is another example of a turtle where the female is a lot larger than the male – growing to 19″ long as opposed to 9 1/” long for the male. They live to be around fifty years old. Another sub-species of the Florida softshell turtle, it is only found in a few places in Florida. You can find them more easily in other parts of the southern USA.
Brownish in color with black markings along the edge of their shell they have characteristic small spines. Very flattened in shape, they can be found in fast-running stretches of water with sandy bottoms – they are not fond of gravel. They are principally carnivores eating bugs and small aquatic animals.
25. The Spotted Turtle – Clemmys guttata
A small turtle that’s best known for the bright yellow spots which gives it its name. Fully grown it’s around 5″ long, and it lives to be about thirty years old. It likes to live in shallow water, and can also be seen basking in the sun. Very attractive, this cute turtle makes a popular pet.
The Gopher Tortoise – Gopherus polyphemus
This is the only tortoise that is indigenous to Florida. It grows to around 14″ long, can weigh 20lb, and lives to be sixty years. It is endangered, mainly due to habitat loss, road kill, and being captured for the pet trade, They enjoy burrowing in grasslands, and it is thought that around 350 other species take advantage of the tortoise burrows that can be very extensive.
These burrows are especially useful during bushfires when tortoises are known to share their accommodation with other animals. Laying around twenty-five eggs at a time, the youngsters when they hatch are very vulnerable. These gentle grayish brown creatures are plant eaters and pose no threat to humans. Or anyone else, it seems.
Sea Turtles In The Beautiful Waters Around Florida
The green sea turtle, the hawksbill turtle, Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle, the leatherback turtle, and the loggerhead sea turtle are all found in the waters that surround Florida.
