Minnesota is home to 11 turtle species. 10 of them are native to the state and include the snapping turtle (the biggest of all species), painted turtle, Blanding’s turtle, map turtle, smooth softshell, spiny softshell, wood turtle, and musk turtle. However, the 11th species, the red-eared slider, is a non-native species in this North Star…
New Hampshire is home to 9 turtle species. Seven out of these turtles are native to the state. The snapping turtles and painted turtles are native to the state and are widespread across the state. Some of the native species like Blanding’s turtle, wood turtle, box turtle, and spotted turtle are labeled as vulnerable or…
Kentucky, the Bluegrass State, is home to 13 species of turtles. These include smooth softshell turtles, snapping turtles, mud turtles, musk turtles, map turtles, pond sliders, and box turtles. Located in the Southern United States, this state mainly receives a humid subtropical climate that offers suitable living conditions for various turtles. It also has woodlands…
Utah is home to 4 species of turtles including common snapping turtles, western painted turtles, Texas spiny softshell turtles, and the desert tortoise. The desert tortoise is the ONLY Utah’s truly native tortoise and inhabits the Mojave Desert all the way up to southern Utah. Chances are high that the other 3 species are not…
California, the Golden state, is home to 9 species of turtles. Some of these species are native to this state while other are non-native. The latter found themselves there as a result of inhabitants of this state releasing their pet turtles into the ponds, and lakes in city parks. The state also boasts as home…
Montana is home to only 3 native species of turtles, namely the common snapping turtle, western painted turtle, and western spiny softshell. Despite being one of the largest states in the US, Montana state is one of the colder northwestern states. And this makes it an unsuitable habitat for most turtle species. That said, these…
South Carolina is home to 20 species of turtles. 14 of these turtles are native to the state and include the snapping turtles, softshells, chicken turtles, painted turtles, diamondback terrapins, Cooter turtles, mud turtles, musk turtles, and more. Moreover, the state is home to one endangered species of tortoises—the gopher tortoise! On top of all…
Idaho is home to ONLY ONE native turtle species: The Painted Turtle. This turtle species gets its name from the bright yellow and red markings on its shell which appear as if they’ve been painted on it. This turtle is widespread across the states and can be found in areas in Idaho such as Boise,…
Arkansas, the land of diamonds, boasts up to 16 different species of turtles, including terrestrial and aquatic species. It is home to species like snapping turtles (including the biggest of all—the alligator snapping turtle!), map turtles, mud and musk turtles, and softshell turtles. What’s more, it is home to two terrestrial species of turtles, namely…
Ohio is home to 12 turtle species, all of which are native to the state. These include the snapping, painted, softshells, Wood, Spotted, Blanding’s, Musk, Map, and box turtles. Most of these turtles are also freshwater and spend most of their time in the water. The only exception is the eastern box turtle which spends…