New York is home to 20 species of turtles. Only 12 of them are native to the Empire State and range from the aquatic common snapping turtles (the NY official state reptile), to the semi-aquatic Bog and Spotted turtles, to the terrestrial eastern box turtles. The state is also home to some non-native turtle species…
Oregon is home to 8 species of turtles. But ONLY two of these turtles are truly native to the state and include the western pond turtle and western painted turtle. These native species are mostly spotted in the Portland area and the Oregon Conservation Strategy highlights them as Special Case—meaning their populations are declining and…
Georgia has up to 29 species of turtles. Freshwater turtles make up the largest group of these turtles and range from snapping turtles to painted turtles, map turtles, river Cooter, pond turtles, mud turtles, and musk turtles. Sea turtles are also present in Georgia and include loggerhead, hawksbill, green sea, and Kemp ridley sea turtles….
Kansas is home to 14 species of turtles. These include snapping turtles, mud turtles, pond sliders, box turtles, musk turtles, painted turtles, and softshell turtles. The varying climate in the state of Kansas—from semi-arid climate to the south, humid continental climate to the east, and humid subtropical climate to the south—creates the perfect living conditions…
Vermont is home to 7 native species of turtles ranging from snapping turtles to painted turtles, spiny softshells, and the rare spotted and wood turtles. Painted turtles and common snapping turtles are the most widespread of all the turtles inhabiting Vermont while the other species have been listed by Vermont’s Wildlife Division as of special…
Arizona has an arid and semi-arid climate and is famous for its deserts, hot summers, and mild winters. In other words, it is a drier climate region. This means it doesn’t have the perfect living conditions for most turtle species compared to other states. Nonetheless, it is home to some turtle species. These include mud…
Alaska boasts its place as the largest state in the USA. On top of this, it is home to 4 main species of seawater turtle species namely the leatherback, green sea, Olive ridley, and loggerhead sea turtles. However, the state doesn’t have any freshwater species. The limited number of turtle species is due to the…
Missouri is home to 17 turtle species that range from freshwater to box turtles. These include the snapping turtles, softshell turtles, river Cooters, map turtles, mud and musk turtles, red-eared slider, and box turtles. The state is also home to the rare western chicken turtle. Unfortunately, some Missouri turtles are endangered or threatened. These include…
Colorado is home to 5 turtle species. Four of these are aquatic and include the common snapping turtle, yellow mud turtle, painted turtle, and spiny turtle. On top of this, it is home to the ornate box turtle, a terrestrial species which prefers living in the woodland areas in Eastern Colorado. This article will discuss…
New Mexico is home to 10 species of turtles. These range from snapping turtles to box turtles, mud turtles, softshells, painted turtles, and pond sliders. Most of these turtles (8 of them, to be precise) are native to the region. The remaining two are non-native species and include the red-eared slider and common snapping turtles….