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.
North Carolina is home to 18 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 North Carolina:
- Bog Turtle Glyptemys muhlenbergii
- Carolina Diamondback terrapin Malaclemys terrapin centrata
- Common Musk Turtle (Stinkpot) Sternotherus odoratus
- Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina serpentina
- Eastern Box Turtle Terrapene carolina carolina
- Eastern Chicken Turtle Deirochelys reticularia
- Eastern Mud Turtle Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum
- Eastern Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta picta
- Eastern River Cooter Pseudemys concinna concinna
- Eastern Spiny Softshell Apalone spinifera spinifera
- Florida Cooter Pseudemys floridana floridana
- Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell Apalone spinifera aspera
- Northern Diamondback terrapin Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
- Northern Redbelly Turtle Pseudemys rubriventris
- Spotted Turtle Clemmys guttata
- Striped Mud Turtle Kinosternon baurii
- Stripe Neck Musk Turtle Sternotherus minor peltifer
- Yellowbelly Slider Trachemys scripta scripta
Now let’s take a closer look at the native turtles of North Carolina.
The Native Turtles of North Carolina
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.
Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii)
Description: Bog Turtle’s are usually colored entirely black or dark brown. The only exceptions are the two brightly colored spots on the head, which can be yellow, orange, or red. And the patterns on the back of the shell.
How long it can live: Between 30 and 40 years.
How big it can get: The Bog Turtle is one of the smallest turtles in the United States, it only reaches sizes between 3 and 4 inches.
Where it lives: As the name implies, Bog turtles can be found in bogs and wet meadows.
Diet: They are omnivorous, which means that they eat a large variety of meat, fish, insects, and vegetation.
Conservation Status: Critical
Reproduction: Nesting occurs from late May until the middle of July, and the incubation period lasts between 80 and 90 days.
Carolina Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin centrata)
Description: The Carolina Diamondback Terrapin can be easily spotted due to its light-colored skin, which can range in color from white to grey. The skin is also covered with black spots and blobs. The shell is usually brown and covered with a black pattern.
How long it can live: Between 25 and 35 years.
How big it can get: Males usually reach sizes between 4 and 6 inches, females reach sizes between 5 and 8 inches.
Where it lives: Diamondback terrapins can usually be found near brackish waters, and in coastal salt marshes.
Diet: Diamondback terrapins are carnivores, so their diet is mostly made out of meat, fish, insects, and other small animals.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
Reproduction: Nesting season is between April and July, the incubation period usually lasts between 80 and 90 days.
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 Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)
Description: The Eastern Box Turtles have a very dome-like shaped shell that ranges in color from brown to black. Besides the shape of the shell, the other most recognizable element is the pattern of the shell and skin, the pattern of the Eastern Box turtles can vary from individual to individual but it can usually be described as a lot of spots or blobs, that are colored yellow, red or orange.
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.
Eastern Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia)
Description: The Eastern Chicken Turtle has a shell that is shaped similarly to an egg, compared to other turtles. The color of the shell is usually dark brown or black, and it has a relatively subtle pattern that it’s usually yellow in color. The lower side of the shell is usually yellow. The skin of the turtle is usually a dark color and it’s covered with yellow stripes.
How long it can live: Between 15 and 30 years.
How big it can get: Most females are slightly larger than males, but overall chicken turtles reach sizes between 5 and 10 inches.
Where it lives: Chicken turtles can be found in canals, marshes, cypress, ponds, and other bodies of still or sluggish water. They are frequently found in the sandhills.
Diet: They are omnivorous, which means that they will eat meat, fish, snails, insects, as well as fruits, vegetables, and all kinds of vegetation.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Reproduction: Nesting season starts in early spring, and ends in late summer. On average, the incubation period of the eggs ranges from 75 to 90 days.
Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)
Description: The Eastern Mud turtle has a very plain look, the upper part of the shell usually lacks any pattern and the color can range from a dark yellow to black. The lower side of the carapace is also very plain, but it’s usually a little lighter than the upper part. One of the few distinct features of the Eastern Mud Turtle is the stripes on the head that can range in color from white to yellow.
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.
Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)
Description: The skin color of the Eastern Painted Turtle usually ranges from dark olive to black. The shell is usually the same color as the skin, but the edges are usually red, orange, or yellow. The bottom part of the shell will usually be colored yellow. The skin of the Eastern Painted Turtle will usually be covered with stripes, near the head they are usually yellow, and on the rest of the body, the color usually ranges from red to orange.
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.
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.
Eastern River Cooter (Pseudemys concinna)
Description: The Eastern River Cooter has a broad shell and numerous stripes on the head, which is blunt and proportionately small compared to the shell. The upper shell is olive-brown, brown, or nearly black, with numerous concentric yellow lines or markings. The lower shell is either plain yellow or may have some faint gray-brown markings along the scutes. The skin is usually olive to olive-brown and has numerous yellow lines.
How long it can live: Between 20 and 40 years.
How big it can get: Most of them reach sizes between 8 and 12 inches, but it’s not uncommon to find females that reach sizes bigger than that, sometimes even 15 inches.
Where it lives: They generally prefer water streams, but they can also be found in lakes, ponds, and manmade environments.
Diet: In general they prefer fruits, vegetables, and other forms of vegetation over meat, but they can be occasionally seen eating insects and snails.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
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.
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.
Florida Cooter (Pseudemys floridana)
Description: What distinguishes the Florida Cooter from most other turtles is its flattened shape. Their carapace has a dark background with a yellow or orange pattern. The plastron has no markings, and there are hollow oval markings on the marginal scutes.
How long it can live: Between 20 and 40 years.
How big it can get: Most of them reach sizes between 8 and 12 inches, but it’s not uncommon to find females that reach sizes bigger than that, sometimes even 15 inches.
Where it lives: They generally prefer water streams, but they can also be found in lakes, ponds, and manmade environments.
Diet: In general they prefer fruits, vegetables, and other forms of vegetation over meat, but they can be occasionally seen eating insects and snails.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
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.
Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera aspera)
Description: Like most softshell turtles the Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell Turtle has a very flat appearance. The color of the shell and skin is usually is a gray olive with multiple small black spots. It also has bumpy projections beginning at the front edge of the carapace and going partway down the center of its shell. Located along the bottom edge of the carapace are three lines that follow the edge of the shell going back towards its’ head.
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.
Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin)
Description: The Northern Diamondback Terrapin Has a light-colored skin that is covered with small black spots. The shell is usually light brown and it’s covered with circular black patterns.
How long it can live: Between 25 and 35 years.
How big it can get: males usually reach sizes between 4 and 6 inches, females reach sizes between 5 and 8 inches.
Where it lives: Diamondback terrapins can usually be found near brackish waters, and in coastal salt marshes.
Diet: Diamondback terrapins are carnivores, so their diet is mostly made out of meat, fish, insects and other small animals.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
Reproduction: Nesting season is between April and July, the incubation period usually lasts between 80 and 90 days.
Northern Redbelly Turtle (Pseudemys rubriventris)
Description: The color of the skin and upper shell of the Northern Redbelly Turtle is usually dark brown or black. The upper part of the shell is covered with a subtle red pattern, and with a more pronounced one near the sides of the shell. On the other hand, the lower part of the shell is completely red, with a black pattern usually found in the center. The skin is usually covered with stripes that can range in color from white to yellow, to red.
How long it can live: Between 40 and 60 years.
How big it can get: Northern Redbelly turtles are average-sized compared to most turtles, reaching sizes between 10 and 12 inches.
Where it lives: They can be found in all kinds of slow-moving, and still bodies of water. But in general, they prefer canals and lakes.
Diet: The Redbelly turtles are mainly herbivores, and they usually eat aquatic plants.
Conservation Status: Not Threatened
Reproduction: The nesting season usually starts in March and ends in June. The average time an egg needs to spend incubating is 80 days.
Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata)
Description: The Spotted Turtle has a black upper part of the shell that is covered with yellow, orange, or red spots. The lower part of the shell is usually yellow, orange, or red with a black pattern. The upper side of the skin is usually black and covered with spots just like the upper part of the shell, while the lower part of the skin is colored just like the underside of the shell, yellow, orange, or red.
How long it can live: Between 100 and 150 years.
How big it can get: Spotted turtles are one of the smallest turtle species in the US, usually, it only reaches sizes between 3 and 4 inches.
Where it lives: In general Spotted turtles can be found in marshes, wet meadows, swamps, bogs, and shallow borders of ponds, lakes, and streams.
Diet: Spotted turtles are omnivorous. They feed primarily on aquatic vegetation and invertebrates, but will also eat invertebrates.
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 90 days.
Striped Mud Turtle (Kinosternon baurii)
Description: The striped mud turtle is characterized by the three longitudinal stripes on its carapace, as well as by the stripes on its head. Those stripes are usually a lighter color than the rest of the turtle, but in some cases, the difference in color is not very evident.
How long it can live: Between 15 and 20 years.
How big it can get: Striped Mud turtles are the smallest of all Mud turtles, only reaching sizes between 3 and 5 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.
Loggerhead Musk Turtle (Sternotherus minor)
Description: The Loggerhead Musk Turtle has very pronounced scutes in the middle of the shell, but as the turtle ages this characteristic becomes less and less visible. The upper part of the shell is usually light brown, and it has a small streak of black. The lower side of the shell is usually colored light brown or yellow. The skin is typically black and covered with light brown lines.
How long it can live: Between 20 and 40 years.
How big it can get: Loggerhead Musk turtles are one of the smallest turtle species in the US, usually it only reaches sizes between 3 and 4 inches.
Where it lives: Loggerhead Musk turtles can be found in most water bodies that have still or slow-moving waters.
Diet: They are carnivorous, and their diet mainly consists of fish, mollusks, and snails.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Reproduction: Nesting season starts in early spring, and ends in late summer. On average, the incubation period of the eggs ranges from 60 to 120 days.
Yellow Belly Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta)
Description: The Yellow Belly Slider has a dark-colored upper part of the shell that doesn’t have any distinct pattern or any other type of coloration. The lower part of the shell is colored yellow, hence the name, and has different patterns of black spots on it. The color of the skin is usually black, and it has yellow stripes that cover it.
How long it can live: Between 50 to 100 years.
How big it can get: In general most Yellow Belly Sliders reach sizes between 8 and 12 inches.
Where it lives: Yellow Belly Sliders are often found in slow-moving streams, creeks, lakes, ponds, and marshes.
Diet: In general they are omnivores, but as juveniles, they tend to eat exclusively meat.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Reproduction: Nesting season starts in early spring, and ends in late summer. On average, the incubation period of the eggs ranges from 70 to 90 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 North Carolina
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 ream my article: Can Pet Turtle Survive in the Wild? In this article, I explore all the possible outcomes of this situation.
North Carolina 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. North Carolina 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 visit this interactive map that will point you to an article on this site that explains as simply as possible the state laws in North Carolina 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 North Carolina, have laws that protect wild native turtles. You can check out the laws of North Carolina 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 North Carolina. 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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Hi: I found a rather large turtle digging in my yard, pretty good hole, filled with water from I do not know where. Live in Apex, near Holly Springs where the new highway is being built and the stream at Sunset Lake Rd is being protected, but a lot of activity. Could this turtle be trying to lay eggs? Should it really be near or in the stream? It’s probably a couple of city blocks away from the water. Should I try to contact a wildlife group? Thanks in advance for your help.
It’s not uncommon for turtles to leave the area that they live, in search for a safer place to lay their eggs, so it’s possible.
I will send you an email with a few groups that might help you.