Ohio Turtles

There are 12 species of turtles in Ohio. Read on to learn about all Ohio turtles and learn how to identify turtles in Ohio.

vertical image with four photos of turtles, midland painted turtle, wood turtle, eastern box turtle and snapping turtle. A white area at the top has the text Turtles in Ohio

Turtles in Ohio

Turtles may seem low-key, but they are truly fascinating animals. Did you know that turtles live all over the world? There are currently 12 species of turtles in Ohio. We’ll go over all the specifics of Ohio turtles in the sections below.

When it comes to turtles and tortoises you might be wondering if they are the same. They are not. Technically speaking, the word “turtle” is an umbrella-type of term that includes both groups of turtles and tortoises.

About Turtles in Ohio

Turtles are actually some of the oldest animals around. They are among the oldest groups of reptiles. Fun Fact: some turtles can live to be 150+ years old! Some of the largest turtles can weigh more than 1000+ pounds.

Turtles also have a second shell. They have their outer shell, which we can see. They also have a lower shell which is called the plastron.

Have you ever heard a turtle make a noise? Turtles actually are not silent. They make a range of noises, depending on the species.

Midland Painted Turtle

Chrysemys Picta Marginata

The Midland Painted Turtle is the most common of the turtles in Ohio. Midland Painted Turtles like to lay in the sun, so chances are, if you’ve been on a nature walk and seen a turtle in the sun, it is probably one of the many Midland Painted Turtles in Ohio! These turtles like to lay on logs near the water’s surface

This Ohio turtle is recognizable in a few ways, when looking down on the top of the Midland Painted Turtle, you will see little red dots on the outside edges of the shell. You may also see some red color markings on the turtle’s tail, neck, or legs. The red markings are what helped to give this turtle its name: painted turtle.

The upper (or outer) shell of the Midland Painted Turtle usually measures 4.5 inches to 5.5 inches in length. The shell is typically dark green and sometimes appears to be almost black. This particular turtle can be found in most Ohio counties.

Red-Eared Slider

Trachyemys Scripta Elegans

The Red-Eared Slider has a thick red marking on the side of its head behind its eye (or where its ear would be). This makes this Ohio turtle easy to identify! It does not have any other red markings on its shell, neck, legs, etc. The dark green, almost black color of the shell is similar to the Midland Painted Turtle. These turtles are found mostly in southwest Ohio.

Full-grown adult Red-Eared Sliders can reach 12 inches in length. Usually, the female Red-Eared Sliders are bigger. It usually takes 5-6 years for the red-eared slider to reach its full size, however, it can take up to 8 years in some cases.

In captivity (as pets) Red-Eared Sliders can live up to 20 years. In the wild, these turtles can live up to 70 years.

Red-eared sliders are omnivores. When these turtles are in the wild, they eat small fish and other decaying materials such as frogs or dead fish. If the Red-Eared Slider is a pet, it will need commercial-grade turtle food so they get all the nutrients they need.

Wood Turtle

Glyptemys Insculpta

These turtles are on the endangered list. They live 40+ years and weigh anywhere between 1-3 pounds. They have a brown outer shell and burnt orange colored skin. Their outer shell ranges from just over 6 inches to almost 10 inches in length.

Wood Turtles are omnivores, they typically eat insect larvae, fish, invertebrates, plant matter, and crayfish.

These turtles are hard to find in Ohio, if you are lucky enough to spot a Wood Turtle, it will more than likely be in the northeastern part of the state. Wood Turtles prefer to be in an area with moving water and are most active during the daytime hours. They like to spend their time sunning on a log or a bank of a stream.

Spotted Turtle

Clemmys Guttata

The Spotted Turtles are quite small, their outer shell is usually between 3 inches to just short of 5 inches in length. The outer shell has a black-to-bluish color and it is sprinkled with lots of yellow dots.

This Ohio Turtle likes to hang out in shallow water areas, such as wetlands and small streams. Sometimes you might find the spotted turtle around wet prairie areas and some woods. These turtles can be found in much of Ohio, including central, northwest, and northeast.

Eastern Box Turtle

Terrapene Carolina Carolina

The Eastern Box Turtle is found in southern and western Ohio. There is debate on whether the eastern box turtle is a native species in the northeast region of Ohio, The outer shell of the Eastern Box Turtle is dome-shaped. The turtle generally reaches between 4.5 inches and 6 inches in length. The outer shell of this turtle is usually brown/black and it has some yellow markings.

What gives this turtle its name is that the lower shell has “hinges” in the front and back. This allows the turtle to retreat completely into its shelf and shut the doors, hence the “box” name. It is a slow to mature turtle, but in the wild, it can reach 100 years of age! This turtle is on the move, which makes it an easy target to be hit by a car as it tries to cross the road.

When it comes to habitat, the Eastern Box Turtle likes woodlands, meadows, hillsides, fields, marshy areas, and even sand dunes! They like to soak in shallow puddles of water, the edges of ponds, and also shallow streams.

Eastern Box Turtles like to feed on vegetation, berries, fruits, seeds, roots, grasses, slugs, worms, and mushrooms. The turtles will also eat carrion and hunt for invertebrates fish and eggs.

Eastern Box Turtles rarely bite, snap or hiss. These turtles are typically not aggressive. It is an animal so it can bite. The turtle does not have any teeth, but it has a beak that can “bite”. Generally, these turtles are not bothered, if they feel threatened they will withdraw into their shell typically before biting.

Eastern Box Turtles can swim! When spotted in the wild you can see them swimming but they often do not look like great swimmers. They can come across as clumsy when swimming. The Eastern Box Turtles prefer the wetlands and marshes with shallow water, but when it comes to deeper water, they can swim if needed.

Blanding’s Turtle

Emydoidea Blandingii

The Blanding’s Turtle has a darker outer shell with yellow speckles that often come together to form streaks on the turtle. The turtle has a yellow throat and chin. The outer shell reaches between 7 inches to 9 inches in length.

Just like the Eastern Box Turtle, the Blanding’s Turtle has hinges on its shell. The front hinge doesn’t close as tight as the back hinge. So the shell cannot be closed completely. This turtle likes to hang out in shallow water, marshes, bogs, swamps, and also ponds.

Snapping Turtle

Chelydra Serpentina

The Snapping Turtle is the largest species of turtle in the state of Ohio. These turtles can grow to weigh 55+ pounds! Its outer shell can range from 8 inches to 18 inches in length. With the snapping turtle, the males are bigger than the females.

Snapping turtles typically aren’t sun baskers, they prefer a muddy bottom area that is full of vegetation. You can often find a snapping turtle in a shallow stream or pond.

The snapping turtle’s eyes are very high on their heads. This allows the snapping turtle to see above the water’s surface while their body is still underwater. The snapping turtle gets its name from its powerful jaws and pointed beak.

The snap can inflict a very painful bite to a finger, so it’s best to keep your distance from this Ohio turtle! The turtles are far less aggressive in water than on land. During the winter these Ohio turtles hibernate in shallow water or mud. They bury themselves in the mud and only light their heads to breathe. They tend to hibernate in groups.

Snapping Turtles eat a variety of things such as fish, reptiles, worms, mammals, amphibians, invertebrates, and more.

Baby snapping turtles will eat tadpoles, small fish, insects, and earthworms. As baby snapping turtles grow larger they will feast on frogs and mice.

Snapping turtles generally live 8-10 years, however, some snapping turtles have lived up to 40 years!

Common Map Turtle

Graptemys Geographica

It is said that the Common Map Turtle gets its name from the yellow lines that decorate its shells. The yellow lines look like elevation lines on maps. The lines are vibrant on younger turtles but fade with age. It has a ridge on its shell going from the neck area to the tail.

When it comes to length, the females win this game. The average Common Map female turtle is 10 inches in length compared to only 5 inches in length in males. Common Map Turtles like deep water, so you can find them in lakes or larger rivers.

The Common Map Turtle is not too fond of humans, usually, when they spot a human they slip back down under the water to hide.

Ouachita Map Turtle

Grapetemys Ouachintesis

The outer shell of the Ouachita Turtle can grow to about 11 inches in length for females but the male Ochita Turtles are much smaller at about 6 inches. This turtle has a yellow marking under each eye and the side of its mouth area. The Ouachita turtle has a ridge on its back that forms spines upward.

This turtle likes to live in large river areas and mostly eats aquatic invertebrates. It can be found mostly in the southern areas of Ohio.

Common Musk Turtle

Sternotherus Odoratus

Common Musk Turtles are pretty small. They are usually between 2 and 5 inches in length. Their shells are a very dark brown or black and often streaked. Their shells typically have an accumulation of algae growth. Another way to identify the common musk turtle is the yellow stripe or streak near each eye.

These turtles are mostly nocturnal. Common Musk Turtles like to eat seeds, insects, tadpoles, snails, algae, and sometimes fish carrion. The common musk turtle will secrete a very harsh stinky yellow musk when they feel threatened or alarmed.

Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle

Spinifera

The Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle is one of the largest freshwater turtles in the United States. What makes this turtle very different from the others is that its shell is actually soft, flat, and rubbery. Females range in length from 7 to 19 inches, whereas males range from 5 to 10 inches in length.

When looking at the face area of the Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle, you will notice that the nose is long and almost like a pig’s. This turtle will eat almost anything, such as insects, fish, crayfish, etc.

Midland Smooth Softshell Turtle

Apalone Mutica Mutica

The Midland Smooth Softshell Turtle is another softshell turtle found in Ohio, just like the Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle. This turtle swims very quickly, it is how it escapes danger since it does not have a hard shell to defend itself.

Typically, Midland Smooth Softshell Turtles have an olive gray or brown shell that has spots of gray, olive green, or brown colors. The lower shell is a lighter cream color.

Cindy’s Insider Ohio Tips

My kids love spotting turtles in the wild. They look so prehistoric! May through July is the best time to spot them as the females will be looking for a good place to lay their eggs.

Spotting Turtles in Ohio

Have you spotted any Ohio Turtles during your outdoor adventures? We’d love to know what turtles in Ohio you have spotted! Drop us a comment below and let us know!

You can also find lots of other wonderful wildlife in our great state! Frogs In Ohio are aplenty, and you can read all about them in our post dedicated to them!

If you prefer birdwatching, our posts dedicated to Owls In Ohio, Hummingbirds In Ohio, and even Bats In Ohio can help you spot your favorites!

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4 Comments

Rachel says:

November 27, 2021 at 3:12 am

My son was telling me that he had to pick an “ohio” animal to do a report on once back from Thanksgiving break. We landed on your site when looking for what turtles are in Ohio. Thanks for sharing but also thanks for this great site. Followed you on all social, I can’t wait to see what you post about next! We love Ohio and want to discover all it has to offer!

1. Cindy says:
  
  November 29, 2021 at 2:20 pm
  
  Glad you found us! Thanks for all the follows!
  
Bruce Wyre says:

June 19, 2023 at 10:30 am

We live on River Road which parallels the Maumee River outside Toledo/Waterville. It’s a 2 lane highway with cars traveling at high speeds. Someone pulled into our drive yesterday and had placed a turtle in a small island in our front yard because it was in the road. I DID relocate it to our backyard (150-200 yards – maybe too far) closer to the river. I have been on numerous sites but can’t identify turtle. Can I submit a picture somewhere for identification?

1. VOT Team Member C1 says:
  
  June 20, 2023 at 12:22 pm
  
  We are not an authority on turtles, but you may be able to ask the question at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources https://ohiodnr.gov/odnr-help-center. I hope that helps.

Ohio Turtles

Turtles in Ohio