No confirmed photo of Blanding's Turtle
Blanding's Turtle
Emydoidea blandingii
- Conservation
- PA status C = Candidate Species (PFBC)
Pennsylvania Turtles: Identification Guide With Pictures
Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.
On this page
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission: Pennsylvania is home to a diverse population of amphibians and reptiles, including 22 species of salamanders, 21 snakes, 18 frogs and toads, 13 turtles and four lizards.
This page lists 15 turtles: 13 from Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's Pennsylvania Native Reptile and Amphibian Species, turtle section and 2 named in other official sources. 2 are nonnative. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission gives a total of 13; the 15 here are the turtles official sources name one by one.
Which turtles can hurt you
Official sources single out these turtles in Pennsylvania, in their own words:
-
Photo: Cephas · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized North American Snapping Turtle
May lash out and lunge repeatedly on land (bite risk). “Although on land it may lash out viciously, it is generally inoffensive when submerged in water where it spends most of its time.” Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
All 15 turtles
From A to Z. Do not handle them.
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Bog Turtle
Glyptemys muhlenbergii
- Conservation
- PA status E = Endangered Species (PFBC)
Eastern Musk Turtle
Sternotherus odoratus
- Conservation
- PA status A = Abundant (PFBC)
Eastern Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta picta
- Conservation
- PA status A = Abundant (PFBC)
Midland Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta marginata
- Conservation
- PA status A = Abundant (PFBC)
North American Snapping Turtle
Chelydra serpentina
- Danger to people
- “Although on land it may lash out viciously, it is generally inoffensive when submerged in water where it spends most of its time.” Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
- 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
- Conservation
- PA status A = Abundant (PFBC)
No confirmed photo of Northern Map Turtle
Northern Map Turtle
Graptemys geographica
- Conservation
- PA status A = Abundant (PFBC)
Northern Red-bellied Cooter
Pseudemys rubriventris
- Conservation
- PA status T = Threatened Species (PFBC)
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Northern Spiny Softshell
Apalone spinifera spinifera
- Conservation
- PA status A = Abundant (PFBC)
Red-eared Slider
Trachemys scripta elegans
- Where in Pennsylvania
- Reported from at least 48 counties; "clustered primarily in areas of dense human populations (e.g., southeastern Pennsylvania, State College, Pittsburgh, and Erie)" Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
Southeastern Mud Turtle
Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum
- Conservation
- PA status E = Endangered Species (PFBC)
Spotted Turtle
Clemmys guttata
- Conservation
- PA status S = Species of Special Concern (PFBC)
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
- PA status S = Species of Special Concern (PFBC)
Woodland Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina carolina
- Conservation
- PA status S = Species of Special Concern (PFBC)
No confirmed photo of Yellow-bellied Slider
Yellow-bellied Slider
Trachemys scripta scripta
When turtles are active in Pennsylvania
Records of turtles in Pennsylvania peak in April to June. They show when people record turtles, not how many there are (about month bars).
- Turtles are on the move in late spring and summer when females look for egg-laying sites. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
If you are bitten or stung
Call 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away. Poison Help connects you to your local poison center, any time of day.
About this list
The species list comes from Pennsylvania Native Reptile and Amphibian Species, turtle section (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, undated web page; retrieved 2026-11-03). 2 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 Pennsylvania.
Sources
- Pennsylvania Native Reptile and Amphibian Species (PA Species and Endangered Species Act listing status). Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“Pennsylvania is home to a diverse population of amphibians and reptiles, including 22 species of salamanders, 21 snakes, 18 frogs and toads, 13 turtles and four lizards.”
- Turtles (species accounts). Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (3)
“Although on land it may lash out viciously, it is generally inoffensive when submerged in water where it spends most of its time.”
“The plastron is hingeless and can aid in distinguishing this turtle from the box and Blanding's turtles”
“Pennsylvania's turtle species are often on the move during late spring and early summer, as the females look for places to lay their eggs.”
- Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Control Plan: Pond Slider. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Updated July 2022; 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.