This list of "local" turtles is meant to serve as a guide to most of the local species that can be found within (approximately) a 50 mile radius of Cincinnati. It is not a definitive account of local turtles but, rather, it is a starting point for novices. The information below will hopefully provide the reader with some general facts about these animals and, perhaps, even stimulate his/her interest.

EASTERN BOX TURTLE (Terrapenecarolinacarolina) - This is that delightful little fellow we find so often crossing the country roads after spring and summer rains. He is distinguished by the highly domed shell and the wide variety of brown, yellow, and orange markings on the shell. Look for the hinge on the bottom shell which allows this turtle to close up tightly. This is how he gets his name. These turtles are found in woods, meadows, farmlands, greenbelts, and even backyards. They are terrestrial animals but like to stay near water where they can soak and drink. They feed on insects, worms, grubs, slugs, fish, and carrion. Adults often tend to become more omnivorous preferring to add tomatoes, berries, and other fruits and vegetation to their diets. Breeding occurs in the spring and eggs are laid in rotting leaves and forest debris. The young hatch in late summer to early autumn. Hatchlings are about 1 inch in length and adults can reach 6 inches.

SNAPPING TURTLE (Chelydraserpentinaserpentina) - Watch out for the quick strong jaws of this fellow. The bite of a snapping turtle can do a great deal of damage to human flesh. These turtles grow to be quite large - shell lengths in excess of 16 inches - and they are heavy-bodied, weighing upwards of 30 pounds. The lower shell is quite small for the size of the body, exposing a lot of the animal's fleshy underparts. A rather secretive turtle, look for him burrowed in the mud of drying ponds and stream beds or walking about after rains. Snapping turtles are primarily carnivorous, preferring carrion and fish.

STINKPOT - MUSK TURTLE (Sternotherusodoratus) - This is a strongly aquatic turtle which spends most of the time at the bottom of still water in lakes and ponds. It is a small turtle, usually only 3 to 4 inches, and gets its name from the presence of glands at the sides of its upper shell which release a musky, odorous fluid when first caught or disturbed. They eat small animals and a little vegetation. The female lays her eggs just about anywhere near water.

MAP TURTLE (Graptemysgeographica) - Watch for this turtle swimming under the ice of large rivers and lakes as it is the very last turtle to go into hibernation and the first to emerge in the spring. Some may not hibernate at all. It is a large turtle, females reach to about 10 inches. Look for many fine lines on the upper shell (resembling a map) and small "spines" down the center of the shell. Map turtles feed on snails, crayfish, and clams and have powerful jaws suited for crushing these delicacies.

MIDLAND PAINTED TURTLE (Chrysemyspictamarginata) - The upper shell of this water turtle is a deep olive green, almost black, with bright red markings along the edges. The lower shell is reddish to orange with a dark splotch in the center. These pond and lake animals will be seen basking in large numbers on the logs and banks of their habitats. Painted turtles reach 4 or 5 inches and feed on aquatic vegetation, insects, crayfish, and mollusks. These turtles hibernate on the bottoms of the lakes and ponds where they absorb their needed oxygen through the inner lining of the mouth and their cloaca.

RED-EARED TURTLE (Trachemysscriptaelegans) - Look for this turtle to be basking along side the painted turtles. The populations in the tri-state area are believed to have originated with the "dime-store" turtles of the 1950's which were released by many pet owners. They are distinguished by the masses of yellow, black, and green lines of their upper shells and the yellow stripes of the head. Look for the red line behind the ear. Although not always present it is the most distinctive identification of this turtle. Sharing the habits of the painted turtles, this beautiful animal prefers quiet water with a muddy bottom.

SOFT-SHELL TURTLES - SMOOTH (Apalonemutica) - Spiny (Apalonespinferaspinfera) - These very similar species of water turtle are distinguished by the flat, leathery shells which allow them to attain great speed in the water and to burrow under the surface of the sandy bottoms of the rivers where they live. They have long, slender snouts which stick just out of the water to breath. While lying under the sand they wait for passing fish or small crustaceans. Female softshells reach up to 17 inches, males to about 7 inches. Spiny softshells are distinguished by little circular markings on their upper shells and their pugnacious attitude. Smooth softshells have tiny dots on their upper shells and are very docile creatures.

If you would like to learn more about these fascinating creatures, the following books might be helpful to you: