15 Turtles Found In North Carolina With Pictures

North Carolina is a great environment for many species of turtles to grow and thrive. If you are a turtle lover or live in the area, it can be helpful to know what kind of turtles you can find here. Keep reading while we look at several turtle’s native to North Carolina. For each entry, we’ll show you a picture of what it looks like, as well as a short description to help you learn a little more about it to help you become more informed about the local wildlife.

15 Turtles Found in North Carolina:

1. Eastern Box Turtle Image Credit: Lisa Holder, Shutterstock

Species: Terrapene carolina carolina

Longevity: 40 to 100 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 4–7 inches

The Eastern Box Turtle is native to much of the east coast of the United States, including North Carolina. While technically a pond turtle, it prefers to spend much of its time on land. It’s a very slow crawling turtle with a long lifespan that can live more than 100 years.

2. Bog Turtle Image Credit: Jay Ondreicka, Shutterstock

Species: Glyptemys muhlenbergii

Longevity: 40 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 3.5–5 inches

The Bog Turtle is one of the rarest species on this list. Scientists first found it in Pennsylvania in 1801, but its natural habitat extends to North Carolina. It looks similar to a spotted turtle but is more closely related to the Wood Turtle. It’s the smallest species in North America and rarely grows larger than five inches.

3. Eastern River Cooter Image Credit: Pantherius, Shutterstock

Species: Pseudemys concinna

Longevity: 20–40 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 8–16 inches

You can find the Eastern River Cooter in rivers, lakes, ponds, and sometimes even large, semi-permanent puddles. It’s a dark green or brown turtle that often grows to more than one foot long. It’s a skittish breed that dives at the first hint of trouble, but you can sometimes see them basking in the sun.

4. Florida Cooter Image Credit: Makoto_Honda, Shutterstock

Species: Pseudemys floridana

Longevity: 20–40 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 8–16 inches

Despite its name, you can find that the Florida Cooter in North Carolina. It can grow to more than a foot long and often weighs as much as 8 pounds. It enjoys lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams. It’s a popular pet and is also a tasty food in many areas of the United States.

5. Northern Red-Bellied Cooter Image Credit: M. Huston, Shutterstock

Species: Pseudemys rubriventris

Longevity: 40–55 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 8–12.5 inches

The Northern Red-Bellied Cooter is another large breed that can often grow to more than one foot long. You can still find it in North Carolina, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey, but its numbers are declining rapidly in Pennsylvania, where it is currently an endangered species.

6. Diamondback Terrapin Image Credit: scuba design, Shutterstock

Species: Malaclemys terrapin

Longevity: 25–40 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 4–6 inches

The Diamondback Terrapin is a turtle that you can find in the brackish waters of the eastern and southern United States, including North Carolina. Its name is a reference to the diamond pattern on the shell. Its body is available in several colors, including yellow, white, gray, and brown.

You may also want to know: 13 Turtles Found in Maryland

7. Eastern Mud Turtle Image Credit: Frode Jacobsen, Shutterstock

Species: Kinosternon subrubrum

Longevity: 50 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 3–5 inches

The Eastern Mud Turtle is a small breed that you can find in much of the southern United States, including North Carolina. They like rivers, lakes, and streams, as long as there is plenty of vegetation.

8. Striped Mud Turtle Image Credit: Courtenay Harding, Shutterstock

Species: Kinosternon baurii

Longevity: 50 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 4–5 inches

The Striped Mud Turtle is native to the southeastern United States, and it’s easy to raise. It tends to stay on land more than other mud turtles, and you might find it looking for food in cow dung. It gets its name from long, light-colored stripes on its shell.

9. Eastern Painted Turtle Image Credit: Jay Ondreicka, Shutterstock

Species: Chrysemys picta picta

Longevity: 30–50 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 4–10 inches

The Eastern Painted Turtle has an olive-green upper shell that sometimes has a single stripe down the center, and it will also have red markings around the edge. The bottom shell is usually a dark yellow color and can sometimes have spots. The upper jaw has the shape of an inverted V with yellow stripes.

10. Red-Eared Slider Image Credit: Pixabay

Species: Trachemys scripta elegans

Longevity: 20–40 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 6–8 inches

The Red-Eared Slider is a semi-aquatic turtle that you can find all over North Carolina. It’s the most popular turtle in the United States, and many people consider it invasive. It gets its name from a small red stripe near the ears. It’s also adept at sliding off rocks quickly to avoid danger.

11. Yellow-Bellied Slider Image Credit: DEZALB, Pixabay

Species: Trachemys scripta scripta

Longevity: 20–40 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 5–12 inches

The Yellow-Bellied Slider is another slider turtle that you can find in North Carolina. This species like to stick to the south, and it grows darker as it ages. Its yellow belly often has an S-shaped stripe that makes this turtle easier to identify. It makes a great pet because you can keep it in a smaller-sized cage.

12. Eastern Chicken Turtle

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Species: Deirochelys reticularia reticularia

Longevity: 15–30 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Adult size: 4–10 inches

The Eastern Chicken Turtle gets its name from the way its meat tastes like chicken. It has a long-striped neck that is almost as long as its shell. You can usually see these turtles walking across the land as it migrates between aquatic environments. It’s a timid animal, but it will bite if you get too close.

13. Common Musk Turtle Image Credit: Frode Jacobsen, Shutterstock

Species: Sternotherus odoratus

Longevity: 40–60 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Adult size: 4–5 inches

The Common Musk Turtle is also called the Stinkpot because of the musky odor it releases. It’s a small dark-colored turtle with a domed shell. It has a long neck, short legs, and yellow lines on its neck. It has a triangular-shaped head with a pointed snout, and it likes to spend most of its time in the water.

14. Stripe Necked Musk Turtle

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Species: Sternotherus minor peltifer

Longevity: 20–50 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Adult size: 3–5 inches

The Stripe Necked Musk Turtle is a smaller-sized turtle that you can find in North Carolina. It’s also called the Loggerhead Musk Turtle, a name it gets due to its large head. It prefers clean water, and you can often find it in lakes, streams, and ponds.

15.  Spotted Turtle Image credit: Jay Ondreicka, Shutterstock

Species: Clemmys guttata

Longevity: 25–50 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Expert

Adult size: 4–5 inches

The Spotted Turtle is a broad species with short legs that keep it very low to the ground. The dark-colored shell will have numerous yellow spots, which is where it gets its name. It prefers shallow water, and you can usually find it in puddles created by heavy rains. It’s a hardy turtle with a wide range that extends into Canada.

Conclusion As you can see, there are quite a few different species of turtle that you can find in North Carolina. Of the ones on this list, the Eastern Painted Turtle is the easiest to find, followed closely by the Florida Cooter. Turtles make excellent pets because they are easy to raise, and many have lifespans that exceed 50 years. We hope you have enjoyed reading over this list and found a few species you hadn’t heard of yet. If we have helped you learn something new, please share this guide to 15 turtles you can find in North Carolina on Facebook and Twitter.

Featured Image Credit by M.E. Parker, Shutterstock

North Carolina is a great environment for many species of turtles to grow and thrive. If you are a turtle lover or live in the area, it can be helpful to know what kind of turtles you can find here. Keep reading while we look at several turtle’s native to North Carolina. For each entry, we’ll show you a picture of what it looks like, as well as a short description to help you learn a little more about it to help you become more informed about the local wildlife.

15 Turtles Found in North Carolina:

1. Eastern Box Turtle

Species: Terrapene carolina carolina

Longevity: 40 to 100 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 4–7 inches

The Eastern Box Turtle is native to much of the east coast of the United States, including North Carolina. While technically a pond turtle, it prefers to spend much of its time on land. It’s a very slow crawling turtle with a long lifespan that can live more than 100 years.

2. Bog Turtle

Species: Glyptemys muhlenbergii

Longevity: 40 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 3.5–5 inches

The Bog Turtle is one of the rarest species on this list. Scientists first found it in Pennsylvania in 1801, but its natural habitat extends to North Carolina. It looks similar to a spotted turtle but is more closely related to the Wood Turtle. It’s the smallest species in North America and rarely grows larger than five inches.

3. Eastern River Cooter

Species: Pseudemys concinna

Longevity: 20–40 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 8–16 inches

You can find the Eastern River Cooter in rivers, lakes, ponds, and sometimes even large, semi-permanent puddles. It’s a dark green or brown turtle that often grows to more than one foot long. It’s a skittish breed that dives at the first hint of trouble, but you can sometimes see them basking in the sun.

4. Florida Cooter

Species: Pseudemys floridana

Longevity: 20–40 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 8–16 inches

Despite its name, you can find that the Florida Cooter in North Carolina. It can grow to more than a foot long and often weighs as much as 8 pounds. It enjoys lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams. It’s a popular pet and is also a tasty food in many areas of the United States.

5. Northern Red-Bellied Cooter

Species: Pseudemys rubriventris

Longevity: 40–55 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 8–12.5 inches

The Northern Red-Bellied Cooter is another large breed that can often grow to more than one foot long. You can still find it in North Carolina, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey, but its numbers are declining rapidly in Pennsylvania, where it is currently an endangered species.

6. Diamondback Terrapin

Species: Malaclemys terrapin

Longevity: 25–40 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 4–6 inches

The Diamondback Terrapin is a turtle that you can find in the brackish waters of the eastern and southern United States, including North Carolina. Its name is a reference to the diamond pattern on the shell. Its body is available in several colors, including yellow, white, gray, and brown.

• You may also want to know: 13 Turtles Found in Maryland

7. Eastern Mud Turtle

Species: Kinosternon subrubrum

Longevity: 50 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 3–5 inches

The Eastern Mud Turtle is a small breed that you can find in much of the southern United States, including North Carolina. They like rivers, lakes, and streams, as long as there is plenty of vegetation.

8. Striped Mud Turtle

Species: Kinosternon baurii

Longevity: 50 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 4–5 inches

The Striped Mud Turtle is native to the southeastern United States, and it’s easy to raise. It tends to stay on land more than other mud turtles, and you might find it looking for food in cow dung. It gets its name from long, light-colored stripes on its shell.

9. Eastern Painted Turtle

Species: Chrysemys picta picta

Longevity: 30–50 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 4–10 inches

The Eastern Painted Turtle has an olive-green upper shell that sometimes has a single stripe down the center, and it will also have red markings around the edge. The bottom shell is usually a dark yellow color and can sometimes have spots. The upper jaw has the shape of an inverted V with yellow stripes.

10. Red-Eared Slider

Species: Trachemys scripta elegans

Longevity: 20–40 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 6–8 inches

The Red-Eared Slider is a semi-aquatic turtle that you can find all over North Carolina. It’s the most popular turtle in the United States, and many people consider it invasive. It gets its name from a small red stripe near the ears. It’s also adept at sliding off rocks quickly to avoid danger.

11. Yellow-Bellied Slider

Species: Trachemys scripta scripta

Longevity: 20–40 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Beginner

Adult size: 5–12 inches

The Yellow-Bellied Slider is another slider turtle that you can find in North Carolina. This species like to stick to the south, and it grows darker as it ages. Its yellow belly often has an S-shaped stripe that makes this turtle easier to identify. It makes a great pet because you can keep it in a smaller-sized cage.

12. Eastern Chicken Turtle

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A post shared by Lawson B. Hopper (@herpinghopperboyz)

Species: Deirochelys reticularia reticularia

Longevity: 15–30 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Adult size: 4–10 inches

The Eastern Chicken Turtle gets its name from the way its meat tastes like chicken. It has a long-striped neck that is almost as long as its shell. You can usually see these turtles walking across the land as it migrates between aquatic environments. It’s a timid animal, but it will bite if you get too close.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lawson B. Hopper (@herpinghopperboyz)

A post shared by Lawson B. Hopper (@herpinghopperboyz)

View this post on Instagram

View this post on Instagram

13. Common Musk Turtle

Species: Sternotherus odoratus

Longevity: 40–60 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Adult size: 4–5 inches

The Common Musk Turtle is also called the Stinkpot because of the musky odor it releases. It’s a small dark-colored turtle with a domed shell. It has a long neck, short legs, and yellow lines on its neck. It has a triangular-shaped head with a pointed snout, and it likes to spend most of its time in the water.

14. Stripe Necked Musk Turtle

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A post shared by GregsTurtleHaven (@gregsturtlehaven)

Species: Sternotherus minor peltifer

Longevity: 20–50 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Adult size: 3–5 inches

The Stripe Necked Musk Turtle is a smaller-sized turtle that you can find in North Carolina. It’s also called the Loggerhead Musk Turtle, a name it gets due to its large head. It prefers clean water, and you can often find it in lakes, streams, and ponds.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GregsTurtleHaven (@gregsturtlehaven)

A post shared by GregsTurtleHaven (@gregsturtlehaven)

15.  Spotted Turtle

Species: Clemmys guttata

Longevity: 25–50 years

Good to own as a pet?: Yes

Difficulty: Expert

Adult size: 4–5 inches

The Spotted Turtle is a broad species with short legs that keep it very low to the ground. The dark-colored shell will have numerous yellow spots, which is where it gets its name. It prefers shallow water, and you can usually find it in puddles created by heavy rains. It’s a hardy turtle with a wide range that extends into Canada.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are quite a few different species of turtle that you can find in North Carolina. Of the ones on this list, the Eastern Painted Turtle is the easiest to find, followed closely by the Florida Cooter. Turtles make excellent pets because they are easy to raise, and many have lifespans that exceed 50 years.

We hope you have enjoyed reading over this list and found a few species you hadn’t heard of yet. If we have helped you learn something new, please share this guide to 15 turtles you can find in North Carolina on Facebook and Twitter.

Featured Image Credit by M.E. Parker, Shutterstock