On this page All 13 turtles Lookalikes When they are active About this list Sources Rhode Island DEM, Division of Fish & Wildlife: It provides meticulous accounts of the state’s seven native turtles and 13 native snakes and their respective habitats
This page lists 13 turtles : 7 from Rhode Island Department of State (Code of Regulations); Rhode Island DEM rule's Rules and Regulations Governing Importation and Possession of Wild Animals, § 3.17 Appendix A: native turtles; sea turtles from DEM Wildlife Action Plan and 6 named in other official sources.
1 is nonnative. Rhode Island DEM, Division of Fish & 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 Atlantic Green Turtle Atlantic Green Turtle Chelonia mydas
Where in Rhode Island Estuarine and marine waters Rhode Island DEM, Division of Fish & Wildlife Conservation Federally protected (ESA); RI Species of Greatest Conservation Need (2015 Wildlife Action Plan) Photo: cello caruso-turiello · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist Atlantic Hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata
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 Conservation RI Species of Greatest Conservation Need (2015 Wildlife Action Plan) Full Box Turtle guide
Photo: Matthew Lumsden · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist Diamond-backed Terrapin Malaclemys terrapin
Conservation RI Species of Greatest Conservation Need (2015 Wildlife Action Plan) Photo: Curtis Meyers · CC BY-SA 4.0 · iNaturalist · resized Eastern Musk Turtle Sternotherus odoratus
No confirmed photo of Kemp's Ridley Turtle Kemp's Ridley Turtle Lepidochelys kempii
Where in Rhode Island Estuarine and marine waters Rhode Island DEM, Division of Fish & Wildlife Conservation Federally protected (ESA); RI Species of Greatest Conservation Need (2015 Wildlife Action Plan) 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 Rhode Island Estuarine and marine waters Rhode Island DEM, Division of Fish & Wildlife Conservation Federally protected (ESA); RI Species of Greatest Conservation Need (2015 Wildlife Action Plan) Full Leatherback Turtle 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 Rhode Island Estuarine and marine waters Rhode Island DEM, Division of Fish & Wildlife Conservation Federally protected (ESA); RI Species of Greatest Conservation Need (2015 Wildlife Action Plan) Full Loggerhead Turtle 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
J F M A M J J A S O N D
74 records by month. Full Painted Turtle guide
Photo: ncb1221 · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist Red-eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans
Nonnative
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 Full Snapping Turtle guide
Photo: Nick Block · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist Spotted Turtle Clemmys guttata
Conservation RI Species of Greatest Conservation Need (2015 Wildlife Action Plan) 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 Conservation RI Species of Greatest Conservation Need (2015 Wildlife Action Plan) 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 Rhode Island Records of turtles in Rhode Island peak in April and June 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
118 records of turtles in Rhode Island by month (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records). Sources Learn about RI wildlife . Rhode Island DEM, Division of Fish & Wildlife. archived copy, captured June 8, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Rules and Regulations Governing Importation and Possession of Wild Animals (250-RICR-40-05-3), § 3.17 Appendix A . Rhode Island Department of State (Code of Regulations); Rhode Island DEM rule. Active rule, effective from 07/28/2026; checked November 3, 2026. Reptiles of Rhode Island (DEM publication page) . Rhode Island DEM, Division of Fish & Wildlife. archived copy, captured June 12, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Quoted passages (1) “It provides meticulous accounts of the state’s seven native turtles and 13 native snakes and their respective habitats” Rhode Island Species of Greatest Conservation Need, 2015 Wildlife Action Plan . Rhode Island DEM, Division of Fish & Wildlife. archived copy, captured May 20, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Rhode Island Wildlife Action Plan, Chapter 1: Rhode Island’s Fish and Wildlife . Rhode Island DEM, Division of Fish & Wildlife. archived copy, captured March 5, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Quoted passages (1) “Sea turtles visit Rhode Island’s estuarine and marine waters during the warmer months” Checklist of the Herptiles of Rhode Island . Rhode Island Natural History Survey (non-profit survey; not a state agency). Uploaded 2021-10; 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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