No confirmed photo of Blanding's Turtle
Blanding's Turtle
Emydoidea blandingii
- Conservation
- special concern (DNR; not on the state endangered/threatened rule)
Michigan Turtles: Identification Guide With Pictures
Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources: Michigan is home to 10 native species of turtles, three being listed as threatened and one being of special concern.
This page lists 10 turtles: all from Michigan Department of Natural Resources's Michigan DNR list of Michigan's native turtle species.
All 10 turtles
From A to Z.
No confirmed photo of Common Map Turtle
Common Map Turtle
Graptemys geographica
Common Musk Turtle
Sternotherus odoratus
Common Snapping Turtle
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
Eastern Box Turtle
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
- Conservation
- state threatened
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Painted Turtle
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
Red-eared Slider
Trachemys scripta elegans
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Spiny Softshell Turtle
Apalone spinifera
Spotted Turtle
Clemmys guttata
- Conservation
- state threatened
Wood Turtle
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
- Conservation
- state threatened
Turtles people confuse
Wood Turtle or Eastern Box Turtle?
Wood Turtle Not stated
Eastern Box Turtle Not stated
Box turtles are smaller and have a hinged lower shell that closes completely.
Eastern box turtle or Wood turtle?
Eastern box turtle Not stated
Wood turtle Not stated
The wood turtle lacks the high-domed shell and the hinged lower shell.
Photos show typical adults; individuals vary. Never get close to compare.
When turtles are active in Michigan
Records of turtles in Michigan peak in April to June. They show when people record turtles, not how many there are (about month bars).
About this list
The species list comes from Michigan DNR list of Michigan's native turtle species (Showcasing the DNR: Give them a brake, 2025-05-08) (Michigan Department of Natural Resources, 2025-05-08).
Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.
Sources
- When encountering Michigan's snakes, best to leave them be. Michigan Department of Natural Resources. May 31, 2016; checked November 3, 2026.
- Showcasing the DNR: Give them a brake. Michigan Department of Natural Resources. May 8, 2025; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“Michigan is home to 10 native species of turtles, three being listed as threatened and one being of special concern.”
- 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.