The Types of Turtles You’ll Find in Illinois
The state of Illinois hosts twenty-one species of turtle. The western boundary of the state is the Mississippi River, a river system that hosts many turtles. The state is also bounded by the Ohio and Wabash rivers, which themselves have systems that are rich in turtle life.
The state is dominated by farming, mining, and industry, but turtles do manage to survive and thrive. In Illinois, red-eared slider turtles are numerous and easily captured. As a result, they have been used as an indicator species to investigate general turtle wellbeing. These investigations also look at the effects of climate change on turtle activity, such as the number of times they lay eggs in a season.
The Law On Turtles In The State Of Illinois
As always, we suggest that you consult your local wildlife authority to find out the most current laws on turtles in your state.
Is It Legal To Keep Turtles In Illinois?
Yes, you are allowed to keep turtles in Illinois, except for sea turtles, and of course, the Federal Four Inch Law prohibits you from keeping turtles with a carapace length of less than four inches. This is the relevant Federal 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.’
If you want to keep an endangered species of turtle, you will need a permit from the state.
You may not keep the following turtles for more than 90 days:
- The Alligator Snapping turtle
- The Illinois Mud turtle
- The Spotted turtle
- The River Cooter
- The Blanding’s turtle
Can I Buy And Sell Turtles In Illinois?
It is illegal to buy and sell any sea turtle. You may not sell wild-caught turtles, and to sell turtles at all you need a permit from the state.
Can I Catch Turtles From The Wild?
To take turtles from the wild in Illinois you need a fishing license. It is against the law to catch turtles from the La Rue-Pine Hills/Otter Pond Research Area in Union County All turtles, except for common snapping turtles, may only be caught by hand. You can only take common snapping turtles from June 15th to October 15th. You can only take two on any one day.
The Alligator Snapping Turtle Macroclemys temminckii
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”.
The Blanding’s Turtle Emydoidea blandingii
This is a very interesting character – Blanding’s Turtle Emydoidea blandingii. Blanding’s turtle is considered to be endangered. It is a long-lived animal, and interestingly it doesn’t show signs of aging, even when it is eighty or ninety years old. Its pattern of behavior is more or less exactly the same as when it was a youngster. It stays active, and can even have sex and reproduce right up into its nineties.
This is a medium-sized turtle growing to around 9 ½ long. It has a dark brown carapace, or upper shell, which is slightly domed in shape and has light-colored splotches. The plastron, or lower shell, is yellow in color with symmetrical 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 with yellow patterning.
The Blandings turtle brumates in the winter. This is a type of hibernation, where the turtle hides itself in mud or debris. Females may move as much as a kilometer away from their bromating site to lay their eggs. They are very timid creatures, and if disturbed they will dive to the bottom of the pond and stay there for an hour or two. They are omnivores and eat crustaceans, small fish, tadpoles, frogs, berries, and vegetation. These 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 habitat burns is a serious threat. To help this turtle survive, you can join conservation efforts at the Lake County Forestry Preservation.
The 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. These 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.
The 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.
The 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.
The Eastern Box Turtle Terrapene carolina carolina
The Eastern box turtle is notable for its lovely coloration of orange and yellow. One of the most common turtles in the wild, its range stretches all over the Eastern United States, but it can be found further west as the result of pet turtles having been released, or escaped, into the wild.
These turtles eat just about anything, although when they are younger they tend to like more in the way of meaty treats – other small reptiles, bugs, and even small animals. They live in a wide variety of locations, woodland, fields, meadows, light scrub, and of course, near ponds.
They don’t like the weather too hot, and so it is likely that they will be affected by climate change. During the heat of the day, they hide out in damp and shady places, although if the weather is mild they can be found sunbathing.
There has been a decline in the eastern box turtle population, and its status is now considered to be “vulnerable”. It appears on the IUCN list of threatened species. These attractive animals reach maturity at around 20 years old and can live to be 100 years old.
The 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 North Carolina, 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.
The 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.
The False Map Turtle Graptemys 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.
The 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. These 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.
The Illinois Mud Turtle Kinosternon flavescens spooneri
The Illinois mud turtle is sometimes known as the yellow mud turtle. A small turtle, it grows to between 5″ and 7″, and it has a dark brown carapace, or upper shell, with a lemon-colored plastron, hence the name. This little turtle is omnivorous and likes soft-bottomed water where it can root around and hide. It is not endangered.
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 the United States. 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 the United States, 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 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 river systems of the state of Illinois, 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.
The 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.
The 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”.
The 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”.
The Red-eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans
The red-eared slider is one of the larger freshwater turtles in the United States. 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 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 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. This turtle is considered to be under threat.
The 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.
The Western Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta bellii
This turtle is one of the pretty painted turtle family. It has a dark shell with an orange-edged carapace. The skin is notable for being brightly lined with yellow stripes. Growing to 7″ long and living for thirty years, they like to live in sluggish and slow-moving water. They are omnivorous, and their conservation status is “Least Concern”.
