Exploring The Different Types of Turtles in Virginia

Yelllow belly

“Down where the South begins” – that’s the Commonwealth of Virginia. As you might imagine the warm and lush state of Virginia has a full share of native turtles. Virginia offers so many perfect turtle habitats, from rivers, to ponds, to marshes, to grasslands, to streams, to warm seas. In fact, there are twenty-five turtles, both sea and freshwater, which call Virginia home. Twenty of these live in fresh or brackish water.

The Virginia Wildlife Action Plan

Virginia has a comprehensive plan for the conservation and well-being of its wildlife. Known as the Virginia Wildlife Action Plan, it combines the resources of both state and private entities to the benefit of the natural world. Some 925 species are covered by the plan, which importantly also focuses on preserving the natural environment. Over a hundred organizations were involved in creating this plan. The Action plan exhibits joined-up thinking in a way that other states could learn from.

Although Virginia is very much a hot spot for diversity, it suffers from threats to habitats from mineral extraction, farming, the impoundment of rivers, urban development, and of course, from climate change.

Turtles are given a Virginia Wildlife Action Plan Rating that enables turtle lovers to instantly understand the conservation status of each turtle. Of course, some turtles have healthy populations and are not rated. Some are threatened in the commonwealth of Virginia but have sustainable populations elsewhere.

Virginian Turtles And The Law

As is usual, sea turtles are completely protected under Virginian law.

These are:

  • The loggerhead turtle
  • The olive ridley turtle
  • The leatherback turtle
  • The kemps ridley turtle
  • The flatback turtle
  • The green sea turtle
  • The hawksbill turtle

You may not own the following freshwater turtles, including their sub-species where applicable:

  • The Diamondback Terrapin
  • The Spotted Turtle
  • The Wood Turtle
  • The Bog Turtle
  • The Chicken Turtle

You may not own any endangered turtle unless you obtain a license from the state. This license would only be available to bona fide scientific researchers, or organizations involved in animal rescue.

Can I Keep Turtles In Virginia?

With the above exceptions, you are allowed to keep pet turtles in Virginia, up to five in number. If you want to keep more than five, you have to get a license to do so.

Can I Sell turtles In Virginia?

Yes, you can, with the exception of the endangered species listed, but you have to get a license to do so.

What Is The Four Inches Law?

The Four Inches Law is a Federal law that prohibits you from owning a turtle that has a carapace of less than four inches long. This law was designed to stop the spread of diseases that might occur in the handling of small turtles, especially by children.

The reference to the law is:

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.’

Can I Catch Turtles From The Wild in Virginia?

You can catch up to five turtles in the wild, provided they are not the threatened species. If you want to catch them using a hook and line, then you must be in possession of a fishing license.

Meet the Virginia Native Turtles

Bog Turtle

The Bog Turtle Glyptemys muhlenbergii

The bog turtle is North America’s smallest turtle and is critically endangered. You are not allowed to keep bog turtles as pets in Virginia.

Bog turtles grow to a mere 4 ½” long, yet they are very long-lived. Individuals have been known to live to over sixty years of age. You can recognize the bog turtle by the bright orange marking on the side of its head. Ranked 1a in Virginia, it is considered one of the most threatened species in the state and is strictly protected. They are also threatened at the Federal level, and so are protected throughout the United States.

You can find this turtle living in places where there is both vegetation for hiding – usually rough grass – and areas that are sunlit for basking. They prefer acidic soil, and like lots of deep moss and leaf litter. Loss of habitat, as well as illegal collection for the pet trade, has led to the decline of this animal.

Common Map

Common Map Turtle Graptemys geographica

The common map turtle is also known as the Northern map turtle. It is a medium-sized turtle, exhibiting sexual dimorphism – that is, the males and the females differ considerably in size. Males generally grow to just 6″ long, but females are much bigger, growing to 10″ long. Females can be pretty heavy, weighing five and a half pounds.

The carapace of this turtle is brown, with markings in light brown, lemon, and orange, outlined in black and slightly reminiscent of a contour map. The head and neck are prominent and have lovely yellow markings with a very distinctive yellow surround to the eye.

The common map turtle is mainly found in the far west of Virginia, with a few isolated communities in the Northeast. They live in clear, open water, but they need fallen branches on which to bask in the sun. They hibernate during the winter, staying underwater and absorbing oxygen through their skin. They eat a mainly carnivorous diet, especially when young, consisting of small aquatic insects, tadpoles, tiny fish, and the occasional nibble of vegetation. Quiet and shy, they prefer a habitat that is far from humans.

Common Musk Turtle Sternotherus odoratus

Common Musk Turtle (Stinkpot) Sternotherus odoratus

The common musk turtle is often known as the Stinkpot turtle. It is also known as the Eastern musk turtle. The unfortunate stinkpot name comes from its defense mechanism. This turtle emits a strong skunk-like smell if it is afraid or threatened, hoping to drive the threat away.

Just a little guy, growing to 4 ½”, he has a brown carapace and greyish skin that has cream-colored markings and is rather rough and warty-looking. This turtle has a relatively long neck, a large head, and webbed feet.

Distributed widely across most of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the stinkpot enjoys slow-moving and shallow water with a good supply of vegetation for hiding out. He lives on small aquatic insects, mollusks, small fish, and crustaceans.

snapping turtle

Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina serpentine

This is a big and hefty turtle with a fearsome reputation for having a serious bite. With an upper carapace that can measure 14″ long and a long, mobile, snake-like neck, it is a fearsome-looking, almost pre-historic creature. It can weigh in at as much as 70 lb. Its carapace or upper shell has three keels that have a knobby appearance, but these wear down as the animal ages. They are a valuable contributor to the ecosystem because they tend to feed on injured and weak prey, as well as carrion.

This big turtle enjoys living in waters with a good supply of food and plenty of space to swim and hunt. They only spend around 5% of their time on land. They are widely distributed throughout Virginia, but they are under threat from harvesting for meat. In March 2019, new regulations were introduced restricting the capture of these turtles to licensed Virginia residents only, and increasing the minimum allowed carapace length from 11″ to 13″.

Cumberland Slider

Cumberland Slider Trachemys scripta troostii

The Cumberland slider has a dark brown carapace with a lemon edge and lemon lateral lines, and a yellow plastron. It has dark brown skin which has bright yellow stripes and swirls. They grow to 8″ in length, and they display sexual dimorphism, with females growing to almost twice the size of males. They are found only in the far southwest of the state. They live in ponds, rivers, and even roadside ditches. Their conservation status is uncertain.

Eastern Box Turtle

Eastern Box Turtle Terrapene carolina carolina

This beautiful turtle sports a dark brown or black upper shell, or carapace, that has delicate yellow or orange patterning. Females have brown eyes, but males, which are usually more vibrantly colored, have red or pink eyes. A small turtle growing to just 6″ long, they have the ability which is unique to all box turtles to hinge up their lower shell, or plastron, and seal themselves tightly in their shell, preventing predators from attacking their soft interior.

They like to live in forested areas, meadows, and open woodlands. this is consistent with the aims of the Commonwealth of Virginia to preserve these kinds of areas.

Their diet consists of bugs, crickets, worms, small crustaceans, fish, and mollusks. They hunt during the day. If the temperature becomes too hot, they resort to digging burrows where they can be cool and stabilize their temperature. This turtle is present throughout just about the entire state.

Eastern Chicken Turtle

Eastern Chicken Turtle Deirochelys reticularia reticularia

The Eastern chicken turtle gets its name from its long neck that reminded people of a chicken’s neck. It is sometimes called the American snake-necked turtle. A small turtle, it grows to just 6″ long at the most.

To all intents and purposes, it is extinct in Virginia and is confined to a small population of perhaps thirty individuals in Isle of Wight County, at Cat Ponds. It is categorized as under the highest level of threat in the state. Conservation efforts are of course focused on maintaining this tiny group of turtles.

The Eastern Mud Turtle

Eastern Mud Turtle Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum

The Eastern mud turtle is sometimes known as the common mud turtle. Just a small guy, they only grow to a carapace length of 4 ½”. Known for their ability to bite, and bite hard, these turtles like to live in clean rivers with gravel bottoms, where they hunt for their prey of small aquatic insects, tadpoles and small fish. They are widely distributed throughout the state.

Eastern River Cooter

Eastern River Cooter Pseudemys concinna concinna

The Eastern river cooter is a relatively large turtle, growing to a carapace length of 16″. It can be identified by an inverted “C” marking on the end of its carapace, or upper shell. This somewhat dull-looking turtle has the interesting capability of being able to live underwater for a long time, absorbing oxygen from a special sac near its tail. It’s mainly to be found in the central areas of the state.

Eastern Spiny Softshell

Eastern Spiny Softshell Apalone spinifera spinifera

This is one of the softshell family of turtles which are distinguished by their pancake-like shape and their shell which instead of being hard, has a rubbery texture. It has a pig-like nose that is used a bit like a snorkel. Females are larger than males, and grow to be 19″ long. It enjoys deep water unencumbered with vegetation. This turtle is found in the far west of the state only.

Florida Cooter

Florida Cooter Pseudemys floridana floridana

A large and rather lovely turtle that is only found in the extreme southeast of Virginia, and there is some disagreement as to whether it is even a Virginian turtle. Growing to a carapace length of 13″, and weighing up to 7 lb, this turtle likes highly vegetated and slow-moving water. It eats a mainly vegetarian diet.

Eastern Painted

Eastern Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta picta

A gorgeous turtle with a very dark carapace ornamented with delicate redlines. It has dark brown skin with yellow stripes and a distinctive yellow spot behind each eye. It grows to 6″ long and is widely distributed throughout the state. It enjoys the typical turtle environment of shallow, slow-moving, or still water, and it can tolerate brackish conditions. It is against the law to buy or sell this turtle in Virginia, although the population is robust.

Diamondback Terrapin Malaclemys terrapin

Northern Diamondback Terrapin Malaclemys terrapin terrapin

This beautiful turtle is the only one in the United States which lives exclusively in brackish water. It is illegal to keep this turtle as a pet in Virginia. The carapace is patterned with intricate black lines, giving the turtle its name. Females grow to 9″, males are smaller. They weigh between one and two pounds. This turtle is very adaptable and can tolerate quite salty conditions.

They have a diet of shellfish and mollusks, and have extremely strong jaws which allow them to eat this crunchy food! They are mostly under threat by commercial fishermen, as they are attracted to crab pots where they drown. Conservation-oriented fishing methods are helping to avoid this issue. The population is considered near threatened in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Red Belly

Northern Redbelly Turtle Pseudemys rubriventris

This large turtle grows to up to 15″ long and about 9 lb in weight. In color, it is dark brown with red markings, and it has a reddish or yellow plastron. It is found in lakes and ponds along the Coastal Plain and in the East. When young they eat a varied diet, with males eating more animal protein than females throughout their lives. Adults tend to eat more vegetable matter than juveniles. They are active during the day and can be seen enjoying the sun on logs and flat stones.

Red-eared slider

Red-eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans

A member of the slider family, this turtle is recognized by the red lines where its ear would be – if it had external ears. Considered one of the world’s one hundred most invasive species, red-eared sliders are very able to out-compete other turtles. They grow to 8″ long, and the adult males often turn completely black with age.

Mainly found around Fairfax and Richmond, these populations may have been the result of pets escaping or being released into the wild.

Spotted Turtle

Spotted Turtle Clemmys guttata

The spotted turtle is found in swamps and wetlands. The main threat to its existence is loss of habitat, and throughout the United States it is considered to be endangered as a result. It’s a small turtle, growing to just about 5″ long, and has a bluish-black shell with a pattern of small lemon-yellow spots. An orange patch can be seen on the side of the head of both males and females. You may not keep this turtle as a pet in Virginia.

striped mud turtle

Striped Mud Turtle Kinosternon baurii

A small turtle, growing to a carapace length of just 4 ½”, it is not considered to be under threat. They have a faint stripe along their upper shell, or carapace. Spending most of its time on land, it does need to be near water and favors small bodies of water such as marshes and ponds. It mainly feeds on insects and worms.

Stripe Neck

Stripe Neck Musk Turtle Sternotherus minor peltifer

Sometimes known as the loggerhead musk turtle, this animal is very much a water lover, spending the majority of its life in the water. Juveniles are pale tan in color with an attractive netted pattern. In adults, this becomes dark and dull. They have a notably large head. They grow to 5 ½” long, and have three keels on their carapace which wear away as the turtle ages. They are opportunistic and omnivorous feeders and can be found in quiet water with little or no current and plenty of fallen logs for sunbathing.

Wood

Wood Turtle Glyptemys insculpta

The Wood turtle is under threat in Virginia. It needs a clear flowing stream with adjacent woodland, and the conservation of this kind of habitat is an important conservation measure for this, and other, species.

It is only found in the very north of the commonwealth. Other threats to this turtle are pollution from agricultural runoff and illegal capture for the pet trade. The possession of a wood turtle is illegal in Virginia. Growing to between 6″ and 10″, it is dark brown in color with a beautifully sculpted carapace when young.

Yelllow belly

Yellowbelly Slider Trachemys scripta scripta

The yellowbelly slider is mostly threatened by the red-eared slider, which will mate with it and so damage the native population. Females can attain 13″ in carapace length. The carapace is dark brown, with stripes of yellow, and the plastron is bright yellow, especially when young, hence the name. A turtle that spends most of its time in the water, in Virginia you can find them in ponds, rivers, lakes, and even in ditches along the side of the road. When disturbed, they will slide back into the water, giving rise to their name.

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