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Wyoming Turtles: Identification Guide With Pictures

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

On this page
  1. All 5 turtles
  2. About this list
  3. Sources

This page lists 5 turtles: all from Wyoming Game and Fish Department's Reptiles in Wyoming. 1 is nonnative.

All 5 turtles

From A to Z.

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

Eastern Spiny Softshell

Apalone spinifera spinifera

Conservation
Wyoming Species of Greatest Conservation Need (NSS2, Tier II)
Plains Box Turtle
Photo: Jacob Friend · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

Plains Box Turtle

Terrapene ornata ornata

Conservation
Wyoming Species of Greatest Conservation Need (NSSU, Tier III)
Snapping Turtle
Photo: Cephas · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized

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

Full Snapping Turtle guide

Western Painted Turtle
Photo: Liren Varghese · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Western Painted Turtle

Chrysemys picta bellii

Conservation
Wyoming Species of Greatest Conservation Need (NSS4, Tier III)

About this list

The species list comes from Reptiles in Wyoming (WGFD species list, data from WYNDD Data Explorer) (Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Last modified 01-22-2023; data 01-19-2024).

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 Wyoming.

Sources

  1. Nongame Wildlife. Wyoming Game and Fish Department. no page date shown; checked November 3, 2026.
  2. Reptiles in Wyoming (species list). Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Last modified on 01-22-2023; checked November 3, 2026.