Mississippi Turtles: Identification Guide With Pictures

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

On this page

All 37 turtles
Lookalikes
When they are active
How to report
About this list
Sources

MDWFP: Turtles 30 37

This page lists 37 turtles: all from MDWFP's Mississippi Amphibians and Reptiles, Revised 2012 — Order Testudines. MDWFP gives a total of 30; the 37 here are the turtles official sources name one by one.

All 37 turtles

From A to Z.

Find by name

No confirmed photo of Alabama Map Turtle

Alabama Map Turtle

Graptemys pulchra

No confirmed photo of Alabama Red-bellied Cooter

Alabama Red-bellied Cooter

Pseudemys alabamensis

Conservation: MDWFP Threatened & Endangered table: Alabama Red-Bellied Turtle (PSEUDEMYS ALABAMENSIS): Global Rank G1; State Rank S1; Federal Status LE; State Status LE

Alligator Snapping Turtle

Macrochelys temminckii

Size

Usually 15 to 26 inches of shell and 35 to 150 pounds; males can reach 29 inches and 249 pounds, females about 22 inches and 62 pounds. Missouri records over 250 pounds.

How to recognize it

Three prominent ridges on the upper shell
Very large head with a sharp, strongly hooked beak
Extra row of scutes on each side of the shell

Full Alligator Snapping Turtle guide

Atlantic Hawksbill Seaturtle

Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata

Conservation: MDWFP Threatened & Endangered table: Hawksbill Sea Turtle (ERETMOCHELYS IMBRICATA): Global Rank G3; State Rank SNA; Federal Status LE; State Status LE

No confirmed photo of Black-knobbed Sawback

Black-knobbed Sawback

Graptemys nigrinoda nigrinoda

Conservation: MDWFP Threatened & Endangered table: Black-Knobbed Map Turtle (GRAPTEMYS NIGRINODA): Global Rank G3; State Rank S2; Federal Status (blank); State Status LE

Eastern Box Turtle

Terrapene carolina carolina

Eastern Chicken Turtle

Deirochelys reticularia reticularia

Eastern Mud Turtle

Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum

Eastern River Cooter

Pseudemys concinna concinna

Eastern Snapping Turtle

Chelydra serpentina 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

Full Eastern Snapping Turtle guide

Eastern Spiny Softshell

Apalone spinifera spinifera

Gopher Tortoise

Gopherus polyphemus

Size

Averages 9 to 11 inches long when grown; up to 15 inches.

How to recognize it

Stumpy, elephant-like hind feet and flat, shovel-like front legs covered in thick scales
Domed, oblong shell with no keel
Burrow entrance is half-moon shaped with a fan of bare sand (apron) in front

Conservation

MDWFP Threatened & Endangered table: Gopher Tortoise (GOPHERUS POLYPHEMUS): Global Rank G3; State Rank S2; Federal Status LT; State Status LE

Full Gopher Tortoise guide

No confirmed photo of Green Seaturtle

Green Seaturtle

Chelonia mydas

Conservation: MDWFP Threatened & Endangered table: Green Sea Turtle (CHELONIA MYDAS): Global Rank G3; State Rank SNA; Federal Status LT; State Status LE

Gulf Coast Box Turtle

Terrapene carolina major

Gulf Coast Smooth Softshell

Apalone mutica calvata

Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell

Apalone spinifera aspera

No confirmed photo of Kemp’s Ridley Seaturtle

Kemp’s Ridley Seaturtle

Lepidochelys kempii

Conservation: MDWFP Threatened & Endangered table: Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (LEPIDOCHELYS KEMPII): Global Rank G1; State Rank S1B,S1N; Federal Status LE; State Status LE

Leatherback Seaturtle

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.

Conservation

MDWFP Threatened & Endangered table: Leatherback Sea Turtle (DERMOCHELYS CORIACEA): Global Rank G2; State Rank SNA; Federal Status LE; State Status LE

Full Leatherback Seaturtle guide

Loggerhead Seaturtle

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.

Conservation

MDWFP Threatened & Endangered table: Loggerhead Sea Turtle (CARETTA CARETTA): Global Rank G3; State Rank S1B,SNA; Federal Status LT; State Status LE

Full Loggerhead Seaturtle guide

Midland Smooth Softshell

Apalone mutica mutica

Mississippi Diamond-backed Terrapin

Malaclemys terrapin pileata

Mississippi Map Turtle

Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii

Mississippi Mud Turtle

Kinosternon subrubrum hippocrepis

No confirmed photo of Northern Map Turtle

Northern Map Turtle

Graptemys geographica

No confirmed photo of Ouachita Map Turtle

Ouachita Map Turtle

Graptemys ouachitensis ouachitensis

No confirmed photo of Pascagoula Map Turtle

Pascagoula Map Turtle

Graptemys gibbonsi

No confirmed photo of Pearl River Map Turtle

Pearl River Map Turtle

Graptemys pearlensis

No confirmed photo of Pond Cooter

Pond Cooter

Pseudemys floridana

Razor-backed Musk Turtle

Sternotherus carinatus

Red-eared Slider

Trachemys scripta elegans

No confirmed photo of Ringed Sawback

Ringed Sawback

Graptemys oculifera

Conservation: MDWFP Threatened & Endangered table: Ringed Map Turtle (GRAPTEMYS OCULIFERA): Global Rank G2; State Rank S2; Federal Status LT; State Status LE

Southern Painted Turtle

Chrysemys dorsalis

Stinkpot

Sternotherus odoratus

Stripe-necked Musk Turtle

Sternotherus minor peltifer

Three-toed Box Turtle

Terrapene carolina triunguis

No confirmed photo of Western Chicken Turtle

Western Chicken Turtle

Deirochelys reticularia miaria

Yellow-blotched Sawback

Graptemys flavimaculata

Conservation: MDWFP Threatened & Endangered table: Yellow-Blotched Map Turtle (GRAPTEMYS FLAVIMACULATA): Global Rank G2; State Rank S2; Federal Status LT; State Status LE

Turtles people confuse

Loggerhead sea turtle or Leatherback sea turtle?

Loggerhead sea turtle Not stated

Leatherback sea turtle Not stated

Adult leatherbacks differ from all other sea turtles, including the loggerhead, in their large size, spindle-shaped body and leathery shell without scales.

Snapping Turtle or Alligator Snapping Turtle?

Snapping Turtle Not stated

Alligator Snapping Turtle Not stated

Tennessee (TWRA): the alligator snapping turtle has a longer snout with a hooked beak, extra marginal scutes (shell-edge plates) and more conspicuous ridges on the shell. Missouri (MDC): its upper shell has 3 prominent ridges, one along the center line and one on either side, and its large head ends in a sharp, strongly hooked beak. Texas (TPWD): the common snapping turtle has an oval-shaped head and a comparatively smooth, rounded shell; the alligator snapper has three distinct ridges, a triangular head and a fleshy lure in its mouth. Caution: young common snapping turtles also have three keels on the shell (MDC, NCWRC, CT DEEP), so ridges alone do not separate small turtles.

Photos show typical adults; individuals vary. Never get close to compare.

When turtles are active in Mississippi

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

454 records of turtles in Mississippi by month (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records).

How to report

Bear problems or sightings, and nuisance-animal guidance: MDWFP Wildlife Bureau (601) 432-2199. Nuisance animal technical guidance is also available from USDA Wildlife Services (MS) (662) 325-3014. Coastal invasive species: MDMR Invasive Species Coordinator (228) 523-4113. Sawfish sightings: 1-844-4SAWFISH. MDWFP

About this list

The species list comes from Mississippi Amphibians and Reptiles (Mississippi Herpetology Checklist), Revised 2012 — Order Testudines (Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (MDWFP)).

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

Sources

About Us. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Mississippi Amphibians and Reptiles (Mississippi Herpetology Checklist), Revised 2012. Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (MDWFP). archived copy, captured April 5, 2024; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“Turtles 30 37”
Black Bear Program. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“If you are experiencing problems involving black bears or want to report a recent bear sighting, please contact MDWFP at (601) 432-2199.”
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.