The United States is home to more turtle species than any other country in the world, almost 100 species, and subspecies. But those turtle species are not distributed evenly, so most states won’t always be home to the same turtle species, even if they are very close.
Iowa is home to 14 turtle species. In this article I am going to take a closer look at each species and cover a few basic things about them, things like the appearance, lifespan, how big it can get, diet, where it lives, conservation status, and reproduction.
Quick list of the native turtles of Iowa:
- Blanding’s Turtle Emydoidea blandingii
- Common Map Turtle Graptemys geographica
- Common Musk Turtle (Stinkpot) Sternotherus odoratus
- Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina serpentina
- Eastern Spiny Softshell Apalone spinifera spinifera
- False Map Turtle Graptemys pseudogeographica
- Illinois Mud Turtle Kinosternon flavescens spooneri
- Midland Smooth Softshell Apalone mutica mutica
- Ornate Box Turtle Terrapene ornata
- Ouachita Map Turtle Graptemys ouachitensis
- Red Eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans
- Western Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta bellii
- Western Spiny Softshell Apalone spinifera hartwegi
- Wood Turtle Glyptemys insculpta
Now let’s take a closer look at the native turtles of Iowa.
The Native Turtles of Iowa
Quick Note: Most turtle subspecies are very similar, so besides some few differences in color it’s possible that everything else about them to be the same.
Quick Note: In this list I am also going to tell you the conservation status of the species, meaning how close they are to extinction. I will give a more in-depth explanation of this ranking works, at the end of the article, but until then I will add a picture that will let you know the basics.
Blanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)
Description: Blanding’s Turtle has a considerably more dome-like shaped shell than most turtles. The upper part of the shell is usually colored dark brown or black. The lower part of the shell is usually yellow with a multitude of black patterns. The skin is usually dark brown or yellow, with the exception of the neck which is yellow.
How long it can live: Between 60 and 80 years.
How big it can get: Blanding’s turtle reaches sizes between 7 and 10 inches.
Where it lives: Blanding’s turtles usually inhabit clean shallow waters with soft bottoms and abundant vegetation. So they can be typically be seen in marshes, creeks, small lakes, and ponds.
Diet: They are omnivorous, which means that their diet is made out of a variety of things like meat, fish, insects, snails, fruits, vegetables, and aquatic vegetation.
Conservation Status: Endangered
Reproduction: Nesting occurs from late May until the middle of July, and the incubation period lasts between 70 and 90 days.
Common Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica)
Description: The Common Map Turtle Usually ranges in color from dark brown to black. On the upper part of the shell, they have a map-like pattern that is lightly colored, and a row of saw-toothed knobs running down the center of the shell. As the map turtles get older the pattern and the knobs start to slowly disappear, up to a point where they are barely visible. The bottom part of the shell is usually light-colored. The skin is usually covered with long and thin stripes that are also light-colored.
How long it can live: Between 30 and 50 years.
How big it can get: Males usually reach sizes between 3 and 5 inches, while females are considerably bigger, reaching sizes between 8 and 10 inches.
Where it lives: Map turtles can be found in waters that are stagnant or slow-moving, and that has a lot of vegetation. So they can be usually seen in rivers, slow-moving streams, lakes, and ponds.
Diet: Map turtles are omnivorous, so they will eat meat, insects, fruit, vegetables, aquatic vegetation, and everything else that they can find.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Reproduction: Map turtles usually nest multiple times a year from the start of the spring up until the end of the summer.
Common Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus)
Description: The Common Musk Turtle has a very plain appearance with very consistent colors. The color of the shell and the skin is usually very similar and it can usually be dark brown or black. The shell has one distinct feature and that is a ridge that traverses the entire length of the shell. Another distinguishable feature of the Common Musk turtle can be found on its head in the form of two light-colored stripes.
How long it can live: Between 30 and 50 years.
How big it can get: Common Musk turtles are very small, they usually reach sizes between 3 and 4.5 inches.
Where it lives: Like most aquatic turtles, the musk turtle can be found in all minds of slow-moving and still body waters. But in general, they prefer waters that have a soft bottom, like mud or sand.
Diet: Common Musk turtles are omnivorous and feed on small aquatic and semi-aquatic animals, aquatic plants, and carrion, and any other kind of fruit or vegetable that they can find.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Reproduction: Nesting season usually starts in late May and lasts until August. The average incubation period of the eggs is 75 days.
Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
Description: Common Snapping Turtles can range in color from brown to black. They usually have very long legs, necks and tails. And they have a pronounced beak-like mouth.
How long it can live: Between 30 and 50 years.
How big it can get: Between 12 and 15 inches, in rare cases, some of them can reach even 19 inches.
Where it lives: A habitat generalist, the common snapping turtle can be found in almost any body of freshwater with a muddy bottom.
Diet: They are omnivorous, which means that they eat both meat and plants. When it comes to the meat they will scavenge, or actively hunt their prey in the water.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Reproduction: Nesting season is May to July. Incubation usually lasts between 70 and 100 days.
Eastern Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera)
Description: The Eastern Spiny Softshell has a leather-like shell that is very round and flattened when comparing it to other turtles. The colors usually range from olive-gray to yellow-brown. In the case of younger individuals, well-defined round spots can be observed on the shell, in the case of adults those spots are not very visible. Like most softshell turtles they also have a snorkel-like snout.
How long it can live: Between 30 and 70 years.
How big it can get: There is a huge difference in size between males and females. Males usually reach sizes between 5 and 9 inches, while females reach sizes between 12 and 20 inches.
Where it lives: They prefer to live in large streams and rivers, but they can also be found in large reservoirs.
Diet: Eastern Spiny softshells are carnivorous. Their preferred prey includes fish, crayfish, and other aquatic invertebrates.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Reproduction: Nesting season starts in March and ends in late May, early June. The amount of time it takes the eggs to hatch is around 80 days.
False Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica)
Description: The color of the shell is usually olive, brown, or black with dark blotches that have yellow lines around them. The upper shell has lies that sometimes form a web-like pattern and may or may not have blotches, this is where it gets the name False Map Turtle because the lines form a sort of map across the shell, but not like map turtles have. The bottom of the shell is usually colored yellow. The skin of the False Map Turtle is usually covered with thin yellow-white stripes.
How long it can live: Between 30 and 50 years.
How big it can get: Males usually reach sizes between 3 and 5 inches, while females are considerably bigger, reaching sizes between 8 and 10 inches.
Where it lives: Map turtles can be found in waters that are stagnant or slow-moving, and that has a lot of vegetation. So they can be usually seen in rivers, slow-moving streams, lakes, and ponds.
Diet: Map turtles are omnivorous, so they will eat meat, insects, fruit, vegetables, aquatic vegetation, and everything else that they can find.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Reproduction: Map turtles usually nest multiple times a year from the start of the spring up until the end of the summer.
Yellow Mud Turtle (Kinosternon flavescens)
Description: Yellow Mud Turtles have a dome-like shell that is usually colored olive, dark brown, or black. The lower part of the shell is usually colored yellow, hence the name Yellow Mud Turtle. The color of the skin is usually the same color as the upper part of the shell.
How long it can live: Between 30 and 50 years.
How big it can get: They usually reach sizes between 5 and 7 inches.
Where it lives: As the name implies Mud turtles prefer to stay in water bodies that have a soft bottom, composed of either sand or mud. So they can be usually found in lakes, swamps, marshes, and rivers.
Diet: Mud turtles are omnivorous, which means that they will eat meat, snails, fish, insects, as well as fruits, vegetables, and other kinds of vegetation.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Reproduction: The nesting period starts in May, and ends around the end of July. The incubation period is longer than that of most turtles, lasting around 100 to 110 days.
Midland Smooth Softshell (Apalone mutica mutica)
Description: The Midland Smooth Softshell Turtle is a rather plain-looking softshell turtle. The shell lacks any distinct bumps or coloration. The color will usually range from olive-gray to dark brown. The head and limbs are olive or gray above, and light gray or cream-colored below. A light stripe bordered by black is usually present behind each eye.
How long it can live: Between 40 and 60 years.
How big it can get: In general Smooth Softshell turtles reach sizes between 6 and 13 inches.
Where it lives: They can be found in most water bodies, but they show a preference towards areas with a sandy or muddy substrate.
Diet: Smooth softshell turtles are omnivores, but they definitely prefer meat over plants, so in general they will consume meat, insects, snails, and fish, and occasionally they will eat some fruits, vegetables, and other kinds of vegetation.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Reproduction: Nesting season starts in May and ends in July. The incubation usually lasts between 70 and 100 days.
Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata)
Description: Like most box turtles, the Ornate Box Turtle has a very dome-like-shaped shell, that can range in color from brown to black, and it’s usually covered with a multitude of lines and spots that can range in color from yellow to orange. The skin is usually covered in multiple yellow spots.
How long it can live: Between 50 and 100 years.
How big it can get: Most Box turtles reach sizes between 5 and 7 inches
Where it lives: Unlike most turtles, Box turtles live on land instead of water. They can be usually be found across open woodlands as well as grasslands and meadows.
Diet: Box turtles are omnivorous, so they will eat anything that they can find, meat, insects, fruits, vegetables, and any kind of vegetation.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
Reproduction: The nesting period takes place between May and July. The incubation period for the eggs is between 70 and 80 days.
Ouachita Map Turtle (Graptemys ouachitensis)
Description: The color of the Ouachita Map Turtle is usually, olive, brown, or black. The upper shell has a pattern that is similar to a map, hence the name Ouachita Map Turtle. On the upper part of the shell, they also have a vertebral keel. As the Ouachita Map Turtles age the map pattern, as well as the keel becomes less pronounced. The lower part of the shell is usually colored yellow. The skin of the Ouachita Map Turtle is usually covered with thin yellow-white lines.
How long it can live: Between 30 and 50 years.
How big it can get: Males usually reach sizes between 3 and 5 inches, while females are considerably bigger, reaching sizes between 8 and 10 inches.
Where it lives: Map turtles can be found in waters that are stagnant or slow-moving, and that has a lot of vegetation. So they can be usually seen in rivers, slow-moving streams, lakes, and ponds.
Diet: Map turtles are omnivorous, so they will eat meat, insects, fruit, vegetables, aquatic vegetation, and everything else that they can find.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Reproduction: Map turtles usually nest multiple times a year from the start of the spring up until the end of the summer.
Red Eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
Description: The most distinct feature of the Red Eared Slider are the red lines that can be easily seen behind the eyes, those lines can vary in color from red to orange and rarely yellow, but in most cases they are red. In general, the color of their skin and shell can range from brown to black, and their skin is covered with yellow stripes.
How long it can live: Between 30 and 40 years.
How big it can get: Red Eared Sliders usually reach sizes between 7 and 12 inches, in most cases, the females are slightly bigger than the males.
Where it lives: They are often found in slow-moving streams, creeks, lakes, ponds, and marshes with a fresh and warm water supply.
Diet: Red Eared Sliders are omnivorous, their diet usually consists of meat, fish, insects, snails, aquatic vegetation, fruits, and vegetables.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Reproduction: The nesting season usually starts in March and ends in June. The average time an egg needs to incubate is 75 days.
Western Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii)
Description: The color of the Western Painted Turtles usually ranges from dark olive to black. The shell also has some distinct markings on the edges that can range in color from red, orange or yellow, and any combination of them. The lower side of the shell is usually red and has one or multiple dark markings in the center. The skin is usually covered with yellow stripes.
How long it can live: Between 20 and 30 years.
How big it can get: Most Painted turtles reach sizes between 5 and 7 inches.
Where it lives: All Painted turtles subspecies prefer to live in freshwater, and they can be usually found in slow-moving rivers, ponds, and lakes.
Diet: Painted turtles are omnivorous, which means that they will eat fruits, vegetables as well as meat and insects.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Reproduction: Nesting season starts in March and ends in June. The amount of time it takes the eggs to hatch is around 80 days.
Western Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera hartwegi)
Description: The Western Spiny Softshell Turtle has a leathery-like shell that has a round shape and it usually ranges in color from light brown to dark brown. The skin of the turtle is usually a lighter shade of brown than the shell. One of the most distinguishable features of the Western Spiny Softshell Turtle is the snort-like snout.
How long it can live: Between 40 and 60 years.
How big it can get: In general males are considerably smaller than females. Males reach sizes between 5 and 10 inches, while females reach sizes between 9 and 20 inches.
Where it lives: Spiny Softshell turtles can be found in any aquatic habitat: lakes, rivers, reservoirs, wetlands, and marshes.
Diet: They are carnivores, so they mainly eat small aquatic animals, snails, and insects.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Reproduction: Nesting season starts in early spring and ends during the summer. The incubation period of the eggs is 80 days.
Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)
Description: The Wood Turtle has a dome-like shaped shell that is flat around the edges. The upper part of the shell also has pronounced denivelations that become more prominent as the Wood Turtle ages. The color of the upper part of the shell is usually brown. The lower part of the shell is usually yellow with multiple black spots. The head of the turtle is usually colored black, but the rest of the body is yellow, orange, or red, with a few black spots.
How long it can live: Between 45 and 55 years.
How big it can get: On average Wood turtles reach sizes between 5 and 9 inches.
Where it lives: Wood turtles can be found in clear water streams, rivers, and woodland ponds near forests.
Diet: They are omnivorous, in general, they consume a lot of strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries, along with numerous small insects and snails.
Conservation Status: Endangered
Reproduction: The nesting period starts in May and ends in July. On average the incubation period for the eggs lasts between 80 and 100 days.
The Conservation Status
The conservation status of a species shows how close a species is to extinction. When a species gets its status there are a lot of factors taken into consideration, not only the number of individuals still leaving.
Even if at the moment there are a lot of individuals of a species, there can be some changes in their environment that will drastically affect the species. For example, the plastic in the water is greatly impacting sea turtles in a negative way.
There are a lot of systems that track the conservation status of a species, but the most well-known and used is the one I used in this article, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. With this system species are classified into nine groups set through criteria such as rate of decline, population size, area of geographic distribution, and degree of population and distribution fragmentation. Out of the nine classifications, two of them basically mean that there is not enough data on the species, so you will usually see only seven possible statuses instead of nine.
Here is a list that explains what every status means:
- Extinct (EX) – No known living individuals
- Extinct in the wild (EW) – Known only to survive in captivity, or as a naturalized population outside its historic range
- Critically endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
- Endangered (EN) – High risk of extinction in the wild
- Vulnerable (VU) – High risk of endangerment in the wild
- Near threatened (NT) – Likely to become endangered in the near future
- Least concern (LC) – Lowest risk; does not qualify for a higher risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.
- Data deficient (DD) – Not enough data to make an assessment of its risk of extinction
- Not evaluated (NE) – Has not yet been evaluated against the criteria.
Alien Species of Iowa
The turtle species that I listed above are known as native species, but there can be other turtle species that live in that area that are not native, those species are called alien species.
Alien species are species that are not native to an area, but they still live there. Those species are usually brought to that region by humans. So a certain state might be home to 10 turtle species, but only 5 of them can be native.
Alien species can be added to an area to help with certain ecological problems, or by mistake. Turtles can do a lot of good things to an area, they can keep certain insect populations under control, they can eat the overwhelming vegetation, of a lake, that got out of control, and there are a lot of other beneficial things that they can do.
It’s also possible that some unknowing person decided to release a few turtles into the wild. If those turtles manage to reproduce, they can easily start a new alien species in a new area. Overall I strongly suggest you not do this, it can be very dangerous for the ecosystem and for the turtles as well. If you want to know more reasons why you shouldn’t do this, you should read my article: Can Pet Turtle Survive in the Wild? In this article I explore all the possible outcomes of this situation.
Iowa State Laws Regarding Turtles
Every state in the US has different laws regarding native turtles and turtles in general. Most of those rules are generally designed to protect turtles, so even if they seem a little restrictive, they are there for a good reason. Iowa has its own set of laws that are different from any other state. Since a lot of those laws are about the native species I strongly suggest you to visit this interactive map that will point you to an article on this site that explains as simply as possible the state laws in Iowa regarding turtles, tortoises, and terrapins.
What to Do If You Find a Wild Native Turtle
What you can do if you find a native wild turtle really depends on your intentions. If you want to take a few photos from a distance, you can definitely do that. If you want to touch the turtle you can usually do that, but you have to take a few cautionary measures.
You have to remember that most wild animals can carry bacteria, and since turtles spend a lot of time in water those bacteria can be a little more dangerous. So if you touch a turtle make sure that you have some wet wipes near you, if you don’t you should probably avoid touching it. But if you still want to, at least try not to put your hands near your face after you touched the turtle.
The most important thing that you have to watch out for when interacting with a wild turtle is the turtle trying to bite you. Generally, turtles are peaceful creatures, but if they think that they are in danger and they have no way of escaping, then they will definitely try to bite you. To prevent this make sure that you don’t let it too close to your toes (if they are exposed), or to your fingers. If you want to pick up a turtle you should catch it by the sides and keep your hands above or below it, never in front of its mouth.
If you want to feed the turtle, you can definitely do that, that would actually be great, but make sure that you are feeding it the right thing, some foods can be very dangerous to turtles, to find out which food items are good and which are bad you can always check out this article where you will also find a few food items lists: What Do Turtles Eat? ( Including Food Lists )
If you want to take the turtle home as a pet, you first have to make sure that it’s legal to do so. Most states, including Iowa, have laws that protect wild native turtles. You can check out the laws of Iowa on this page: Turtle State Laws.
If it’s winter or close to winter there is a chance that you can find a hibernating turtle. When turtles hibernate, they enter a very profound sleep which allows them to conserve energy. They generally do this because during cold seasons there is little to no food available to them, and because there is no heat to allow them to heat up their body ( turtles are unable to produce their own body heat). If during a cold season you find a turtle that is hibernating, usually the best thing that you can do is to leave it to hibernate peacefully. Usually, turtles know how to choose a good spot to hibernate, so they are probably just fine. If you want to know more about turtle hibernation, I’ve written a more in-depth article that covers the subject, In this article, I cover why turtles hibernate, how hibernation takes place, how aquatic turtles hibernate, how land turtles hibernate, how sea turtles hibernate, what is brumation, and many other important and interesting things about hibernation: Do Turtles Hibernate?
Conclusion
This article should cover every basic thing about the native turtles of Iowa. But if you have a question about something that you couldn’t find in the article you should leave a comment, I will do my best to answer it as soon as possible.
If you want to know more facts about turtles you can always check out the category: Turtle Facts. Or if you are a turtle owner and you want to know more about how to properly take care of a turtle or a tortoise you can always check the Care Guides Section or the Recommended Products Section.
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