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Minnesota Turtles: Identification Guide With Pictures

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

On this page
  1. All 10 turtles
  2. When they are active
  3. How to report
  4. About this list
  5. Sources

This page lists 10 turtles. 1 is nonnative.

All 10 turtles

From A to Z.

No confirmed photo of Blanding's turtle

Blanding's turtle

Emydoidea blandingii

Conservation
Minnesota threatened
No confirmed photo of False map turtle

False map turtle

Graptemys pseudogeographica

No confirmed photo of Northern map turtle

Northern map turtle

Graptemys geographica

No confirmed photo of Ouachita map turtle

Ouachita map turtle

Graptemys ouachitensis

Painted turtle
Photo: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

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
607 records by month.

Full Painted turtle guide

Smooth Softshell
Photo: Chrissy McClarren and Andy Reago · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

Smooth Softshell

Apalone mutica

Conservation
Minnesota special concern species
What the sources say

Habitat: Lake Shore, River Shore, Medium Rivers and Streams, Large Rivers, Littoral Zone of Lake (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources)

Spiny Softshell Turtle
Photo: Peter Paplanus · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Spiny Softshell Turtle

Apalone spinifera

54 records by month.
Wood Turtle
Photo: Michael Ellis · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

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
Minnesota threatened
What the sources say

Habitat: Fire Dependent Forest, Mesic Hardwood Forest, Upland Prairie, River Shore, Wet Forest, Small Rivers and Streams, Medium Rivers and Streams, Savanna (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources)

Full Wood Turtle guide

When turtles are active in Minnesota

Records of turtles in Minnesota peak in April to June. They show when people record turtles, not how many there are (about month bars).

921 records of turtles in Minnesota by month (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records).

How to report

Invasive insects (emerald ash borer, spongy moth, Asian long-horned beetle, brown marmorated stink bug): Minnesota Department of Agriculture "Report a Pest" line 1-888-545-6684. Invasive vertebrates (mute swans, Eurasian swine/wild pigs): the DNR Invasive Species Program and your local conservation officer or wildlife office. Aquatic invasives: your local DNR invasive species specialist. Cougar sightings: the nearest DNR area wildlife office or conservation officer. General DNR line: 888-646-6367. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

About this list

The species list comes from Reptiles / Amphibians of Minnesota: Turtles (Minnesota DNR) (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Internet Archive capture 2026-10-12). 10 more entries come from other official sources named on each card.

Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.

"Nonnative" and "Invasive" follow the wording of the source list. See invasive species in Minnesota.

Sources

  1. Reptiles / Amphibians of Minnesota. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. archived copy, captured October 12, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
  2. False map turtle. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. archived copy, captured May 18, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
  3. Northern map turtle. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. archived copy, captured May 17, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
  4. Ouachita map turtle. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. archived copy, captured March 12, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
  5. Painted turtle. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. archived copy, captured June 14, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
  6. Spiny Softshell Turtle. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. archived copy, captured April 11, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
  7. Rare Species Guide: Wood Turtle. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. archived copy, captured February 12, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
  8. Rare Species Guide: Smooth Softshell. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. archived copy, captured February 6, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
  9. Rare Species Guide: North American Snapping Turtle. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. archived copy, captured May 16, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
  10. Minnesota Rules 6134.0200 Animal Species (endangered, threatened, special concern). Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes (rules of the Minnesota DNR). Published Electronically: October 8, 2013; checked November 3, 2026.
  11. Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans). Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. archived copy, captured March 13, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
  12. Living with Wildlife: Snakes. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. archived copy, captured October 25, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Turtles often come around in June when they are looking for a nesting site.”
  13. How do I report an invasive terrestrial animal? Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. archived copy, captured April 14, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Report new locations to Minnesota Department of Agriculture or call the ‘Report a Pest’ phone number: 1-888-545-6684.”
  14. 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.