On this page All 13 turtles Lookalikes When they are active About this list Sources Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife: Among Maine’s inland (nonmarine) reptiles are seven turtle species
This page lists 13 turtles .
1 is nonnative. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife gives a total of 7; the 13 here are the turtles official sources name one by one.
All 13 turtles From A to Z.
No confirmed photo of Blanding’s Turtle Blanding’s Turtle Emydoidea blandingii
Where in Maine Southern region only Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation State Endangered; Species of Greatest Conservation Need What the sources say Habitat: Primarily aquatic, found in vernal pools, marshes, scrub-shrub swamps, streams, and ponds (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife)
Photo: Joshua Liverman · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist Terrapene carolina
Size Small: adult shell usually 4.5 to 6 inches; up to about 7 to 8 inches (Alabama, Virginia). How to recognize it High, domed upper shell Hinged lower shell that closes the turtle in completely Ridge (keel) down the center of the shell, more obvious in young Where in Maine Southern region only Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation MDIFW recommended removal of the species from the Maine Endangered Species list, which was then enacted by the state legislature in 2023 What the sources say Habitat: Terrestrial, prefers areas of sandy soils (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife)
Full Eastern Box Turtle guide
Photo: Curtis Meyers · CC BY-SA 4.0 · iNaturalist · resized Eastern Musk Turtle Sternotherus odoratus
Where in Maine Southern and central regions Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife What the sources say Habitat: Strictly aquatic (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife)
No confirmed photo of Green Seaturtle Green Seaturtle Chelonia mydas
Where in Maine All range widely in international waters with some presence in state jurisdiction in the Gulf of Maine. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation SGCN 2025 Priority 1; Federal Threatened (1978); not on Maine's state list of Endangered and Threatened marine species What the sources say Habitat: Marine (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife)
Photo: cello caruso-turiello · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist Hawksbill Sea Turtle Eretmochelys imbricata
Conservation Federal Endangered (1970) (SWAP Appendix 1-4, Maine's list of federally-designated Endangered and Threatened species); not SGCN and not on Maine's state list No confirmed photo of Kemp's Ridley Seaturtle Kemp's Ridley Seaturtle Lepidochelys kempii
Where in Maine All range widely in international waters with some presence in state jurisdiction in the Gulf of Maine. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation SGCN 2025 Priority 1; State Endangered; Federal Endangered What the sources say Habitat: Marine (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife)
Photo: Rabon David, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons Dermochelys coriacea
Size Adults 5 to 6 feet long, 750 to 1,000 pounds (NOAA). Texas Parks and Wildlife cites weights up to 1,300 lb and shells up to 8 feet. How to recognize it The only sea turtle that lacks scales and a hard shell. Front flippers proportionally longer than in other sea turtles; rear flippers paddle-shaped. Usually a pink spot on top of the head that can identify individuals. Where in Maine All range widely in international waters with some presence in state jurisdiction in the Gulf of Maine. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation SGCN 2025 Priority 1; State Endangered; Federal Endangered What the sources say Habitat: Marine (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife)
Full Leatherback Seaturtle guide
Photo: Kristiina Hurme · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist Caretta caretta
Size Adults 2.5 to 3.5 feet long and 200 to 350 pounds (NOAA). NCWRC gives 31 to 45 inches shell length and 170 to 350 pounds; SCDNR says adults can weigh as much as 300 pounds and reach up to four feet in shell length. How to recognize it Very large head with powerful jaws. Slightly heart-shaped top shell. Two pairs of scales (prefrontal scutes) between the eyes above the nostrils; two claws on each flipper. Where in Maine All range widely in international waters with some presence in state jurisdiction in the Gulf of Maine. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation SGCN 2025 Priority 1; State Threatened; Federal Threatened What the sources say Habitat: Marine (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife)
Full Loggerhead Seaturtle guide
Photo: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons Chrysemys picta
Size Small: adult shell usually 4 to 7 inches, up to about 10 inches; females are larger than males. How to recognize it Smooth, fairly flat shell with no keel and a smooth (not saw-toothed) rear edge Red markings on the marginal shell plates Yellow spot behind each eye and yellow stripes on the chin Where in Maine Statewide, except absent from northwestern Maine Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
J F M A M J J A S O N D
170 records by month. What the sources say Habitat: Permanent water with submerged vegetation and plentiful basking areas (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife)
Full Painted Turtle guide
No confirmed photo of Pond Slider Pond Slider Trachemys scripta
Nonnative
Where in Maine Southern and central regions Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife What the sources say Habitat: Quiet, fresh deep water of ponds and lakes (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife)
Photo: Cephas · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized Chelydra serpentina
Size Upper shell usually 8 to 14 inches, occasionally to nearly 20; usually 10 to 35 lb, occasionally to 75 lb in the wild. How to recognize it Large head, long tail Saw-toothed scales on the long tail Small, cross-shaped lower shell Where in Maine Southern, central, eastern, and northern regions Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
J F M A M J J A S O N D
126 records by month. What the sources say Habitat: All types of permanent aquatic habitats including ponds, lakes, rivers, bogs, marshes, and even brackish salt marshes (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife)
Full Snapping Turtle guide
Photo: Nick Block · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist Spotted Turtle Clemmys guttata
Where in Maine Southern and central regions Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation State Threatened; Species of Greatest Conservation Need What the sources say Habitat: Aquatic habitat includes slow streams, wet meadows, bogs, ponds, vernal pools, marshes, shrub swamps, and roadside ditches (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife)
Photo: Michael Ellis · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist Glyptemys insculpta
Size 14-20 cm (5.5-8 in) How to recognize it Lower shell has no hinge Combination of brown shell, orange front limbs and a lower shell solidly fused to the upper shell Males: concave lower shell, long thick tail, broader head Where in Maine Statewide Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation State Special Concern; Species of Greatest Conservation Need What the sources say Habitat: Slow-moving streams or rivers with sandy or silty substrates (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife)
Full Wood Turtle guide
Turtles people confuse Eastern box turtle or Wood turtle? The wood turtle lacks the high-domed shell and the hinged lower shell.
Wood Turtle or Eastern Box Turtle? Box turtles are smaller and have a hinged lower shell that closes completely.
Loggerhead sea turtle or Leatherback sea turtle? Adult leatherbacks differ from all other sea turtles, including the loggerhead, in their large size, spindle-shaped body and leathery shell without scales.
Photos show typical adults; individuals vary. Never get close to compare.
When turtles are active in Maine Records of turtles in Maine peak in May to July. They show when people record turtles, not how many there are (about month bars ).
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
309 records of turtles in Maine by month (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records). Sources Listed Species (Maine Endangered and Threatened Species) . Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026. Reptiles & Amphibians: Species Information . Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026. Quoted passages (1) “Among Maine’s inland (nonmarine) reptiles are seven turtle species” Blandings Turtle (species page) . Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026. Eastern Box Turtle (species page) . Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026. Eastern Musk Turtle (species page) . Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026. Painted Turtle (species page) . Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026. Pond Slider (species page) . Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026. Snapping Turtle (species page) . Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026. Spotted Turtle (species page) . Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026. Wood Turtle (species page) . Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026. Maine 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan, Element 1 (Final, 2026-03-10) . Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Final 2026-03-10; checked November 3, 2026. GBIF.org occurrence records, human observations licensed CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0 only, accessed November 3, 2026. The datasets behind these counts are listed on our Sources page. 
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