.jpg){kind=link}
Bog (=Muhlenberg) Turtle
Glyptemys (=Clemmys) muhlenbergii
Virginia Turtles: Identification Guide With Pictures
Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.
This page lists 29 turtles: all from DWR's Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, List of Native and Naturalized Fauna of Virginia. 4 are nonnative.
All 29 turtles
From A to Z.
No confirmed photo of Chinese Softshell
Chinese Softshell
Pelodiscus sinensis
No confirmed photo of Coastal Plain Cooter
Coastal Plain Cooter
Pseudemys floridana
No confirmed photo of Cumberland Slider
Cumberland Slider
Trachemys scripta troostii
Eastern Chicken Turtle
Deirochelys reticularia reticularia
Eastern Musk Turtle
Sternotherus odoratus
Eastern Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta picta
Eastern River Cooter
Pseudemys concinna concinna
No confirmed photo of Green Sea Turtle
Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell
Apalone spinifera aspera
Hawksbill Sea Turtle
Eretmochelys imbricata
No confirmed photo of Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle
Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
Leatherback Sea Turtle
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.
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
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.
Midland Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta marginata
Mississippi Map Turtle
Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii
North American 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
Northern Diamondback Terrapin
Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
No confirmed photo of Northern Map Turtle
Northern Map Turtle
Graptemys geographica
Northern Red-bellied Cooter
Pseudemys rubriventris
,_Oberseite.jpg){kind=link}
Northern Spiny Softshell
Apalone spinifera spinifera
Red-eared Slider
Trachemys scripta elegans
Southeastern Mud Turtle
Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum
Spotted Turtle
Clemmys guttata
Stripe-necked Musk Turtle
Sternotherus peltifer
No confirmed photo of Striped Mud Turtle
Striped Mud Turtle
Kinosternon baurii
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
Woodland Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina carolina
No confirmed photo of Yellow-bellied Slider
Yellow-bellied Slider
Trachemys scripta scripta
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.
Photos show typical adults; individuals vary. Never get close to compare.
When turtles are active in Virginia
Records of turtles in Virginia peak in April to July. They show when people record turtles, not how many there are (about month bars).
How to report
Virginia Wildlife Conflict Helpline (DWR), toll-free 1-855-571-9003 (wildlife problems; feral hog and nutria reports). Northern snakehead catches: DWR 804-367-2925. Rare wildlife sightings: DWR Virginia Rare Animal Observations Form. Imported fire ants outside the quarantine area: VDACS Invasive Species Reporting Tool. Wildlife crimes: [email protected] or 800-237-5712. Virginia DWR
About this list
The species list comes from Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, List of Native and Naturalized Fauna of Virginia (REPTILES: Turtles) (Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR), May, 2026).
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 Virginia.
Sources
- List of Native and Naturalized Fauna of Virginia. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR). May, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- Help with Human-Wildlife Conflicts. Virginia DWR. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“If you are experiencing a problem with wildlife, please dial our toll-free wildlife conflict helpline at 1-855-571-9003.”
- 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.