General Information:

There are thirty-eight species of reptiles, divided among eight families and 28 genera native to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.     They all can be broken down into 21 species of snakes, 14 species of turtles and 4 species of lizards.     Many of these are protected in one degree or another by state law.   Due to loss of habitat, pollution and collecting, many of these populations are quickly declining.   We at TURTLE WORLD feel it is everyone's responsibility to do what they can to prevent these interesting creatures from become so scarce that future generations will not have the ability to see them I the wild.   Everyone can do something to help.   If you see a turtle crossing a roadway, you can assist it in crossing by moving into the other side of the road - always take it to the side it was heading for!    If you place it on the side that it was coming from, it is most likely to try and cross again.   Unlike the fabled chicken, a turtle has a reason it wanted to cross the roadway!   If you encounter a reptile in the wild, and it is not in any danger just leave it alone and sit and observe.   Please do not take it home thinking it would make a good pet.   Any encounter with any form of wild life is a gift.    If you leave it alone and just observe, it can be an experience to treasure your entire life.   Don't ever forget that "Little Things Are Special too!"
 

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Turtles  of  Pennsylvania

There are the 14 species of turtles native to the commonwealth of PA.   We have also included their status as listed by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission - the governing body over reptiles and amphibians throughout the state of Pennsylvania.

  Eastern Box Turtle    (Terrapene carolina carolina)        

  Description: 
  Reaching about 6 to 7 inches, this turtle is the only PA turtle that can
  draw its head, legs and tail entirely into its shell and close the shell up
  completely.   Thus the name "box turtle"!   The "hinge is easily seen on the plastron
  (belly) of the turtle.   Normally the shell is dark brown to black with highly varying yellow
                       markings on the carapace (top part of the shell).    Often (but not always) the males will
                       brighter colored and have red eyes.     These are wonderful little creatures who too often are
                       removed from the wild to be kept as pets.   Often their life span is shortened in captivity.
                       They are also listed on CITES list and are federally protected from international trade.  
                       This does not mean such activity doesn't take place!

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(Emys blandingi) 

  Description:  These turtle may reach up to 10 to 11 inches.   They have a bright
                       yellow chin and throat and a "domed" carapace (upper part of the shell) which is
                      dark with yellowish spots and streaks on it.   With in the commonwealth, it is only
                      found in the Lake Erie portion of the state.    It is an adorable turtle that needs
                      protection by every means. 


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(Clemmys insculpta) 

                            Description:  This species of turtle is simply a beautiful creature.   Typically they
                       have a large black head and  the neck and fore-legs are usually orange in color.   The
                       carapace (upper half of the shell) is a brownish shade and each scute (square scales
                       on the shell) has visible rings that resemble the rings in a tree trunk.   It is because
                       of these rings and the fact that the turtle prefers a wooded habitat with a small clean
                       stream flowing through it, that the turtle has been named "the wood turtle".   Pollution,
                       flood controls and bridge repair all seem to be having a detrimental impact on the
                       wood turtles habitat.    Although this species is still considered to be quite common its
                       number are no doubt declining.

DID YOU KNOW:  
                           The North American Wood Turtle is considered the most intelligent turtle in North America?

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Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) 
 

Description:  These turtles can get up to 5 inches.   They will have anywhere from two to four dozen yellow spots on a black carapace (top of the shell).   They prefer shallow streams and the edges of marshes, ponds and lakes where they can find insects to eat.     These are beautiful little turtles and deserve protection.

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Bog Turtle (Clemmys muhlenbergii)
Endangered Species
Federal status: Under consideration for listing as a
                                              threatened species

Description:    The bog turtle is one of the smallest North American turtles with the adult shell measuring 3 to 4.5 inches in length. It is easily distinguished from other turtles by the large, conspicuous bright orange, yellow or red blotch on each side of its head. The upper shell is dark brown with yellow to orange markings and covered with ridged plates that are eventually worn smooth; the lower shell is dark brown or black, sometimes with scattered light markings.    The only populations in PA that are left are found in the south eastern portion of the state.        Unfortunately the same area is quickly being developed.    This beautiful species needs all the help it can get in order to survive.       Due to habitat destruction (via draining, pollution, etc.) and the fact that the populations are so isolated, these turtle are in real peril.    Anyone caught removing these animals from the wild will face very serious charges.    These turtles are considered to be the rarest turtles in North America.    Many populations of bog turtles now have less than 20 individuals,  some have under 10! It is easy to see how precarious these populations are, and how collection or loss of just one individual can have an impact on the survival of the entire population.

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         DID YOU KNOW:  
                           A bog turtle's age can be estimated by counting the annular rings on a plastral (belly) scute.

Common Snapping Turtle  (

Chelydra serpentina serpentina) 

  Description:   The largest turtle found in Pennsylvania, the "snapper" is also the
  most aggressive!   They can weigh as much as 75 pounds or more (the average is
  around 35 pounds).   The carapace (upper shell) is grayish in color with the plastron
  being lighter in color and much, much smaller in size than the shell.    The easiest way
  to distinguish a snapping turtle from any other native species is to look at the tail.   If
                       the tail has dinosaur like spike running the length of the top of its tail.

DID YOU KNOW:  
                           A snapping turtle can lay anywhere between 24 to 30 eggs!

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Eastern Mud Turtle (

Kinosternon subrubrum)

Endangered Species

                               Description:        The mud turtle is a small, nondescript reptile, measuring
    3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm). The     carapace (upper shell) is     olive to dark brown to almost
    black, patternless, smooth  and keelless. It has only 11 marginal scutes (plates) rather than
    the 12 found on most turtles. The plastron (lower shell) is yellow to brown, double-hinged,
    with 11 plates.     Males have a well-developed, blunt spine at the tip of the tail and rough
                         scaly patches  on the inside of the hind legs.       

     In this Picture you can see the two "hinges" on the plastron that permit the mud turtle to
     partially close the front and back part of its plastron.    They are not capable of closing the
     as tightly as the box turtle but none the less do posses a similar feature.  
                               

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                                                DID YOU KNOW:
                                                                     There are three species of turtles with "hinges" on there shells in PA?

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  Musk or Stinkpot Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus)

  Description: 
  Here it is easy to see the small plastron of the musk turtle.   There are no "hinges" 
  on the plastron of the musk turtle like those found on the mud turtle.    Musk turtles
   tend to be more inclined to bite than the mud turtles as well, but not aggressively
                        like the snapping turtle.

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Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle  (

Trionyx ferox spinifera) 

Description:  Here is a neat turtle!   Reaching up to 17 inches, these guys are PA's
                     version of a "sea turtle"!   They are fully aquatic and have a "leathery like" shell instead
                     of a hard scaled shell.  They have a long "snorkel like" snout and obvious webbed feet.  
                     It has a long neck and a sharp bite.    They are basically found only in the western portion
                    of Pennsylvania.  


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Smooth Softshell Turtle  (Trionyx muticus

Description:  This species may not exist in PA any longer.  The only records indicate
                     that it was found in the Ohio river drainage area.   Reaching a length of 14 inches this turtle
                     is very similar to the spiny softshell turtle except it lacks the row of along the front edge of
                     the carapace (upper portion of the shell).   

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Map Turtle  (

Graptemys geographica) 

Description:  Reaching over 10 inches this turtles carapace (upper half of the shell) is
                     covered a network of fine, yellowish lines resembling lines on a map - thus the  name
                     "Map" turtle.    Not often seen due to its deep water habits.   Inhabits the Erie and
                     Susquehanna Drainage areas with in Pennsylvania.

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 Eastern Painted Turtle  (Chrysemys picta picta)

   Description:  This turtle can reach slightly over 7 inches.   It has yellow stripes on its
   head and neck and red markings around the edges of the upper shell.     Its bottom shell
   is uniform yellowish in color.   The Eastern Painted and the Midland Painted turtles will cross
   so patterns and colors vary greatly where this occurs - mostly in the Susquehanna drainage
                        areas.    Easterns are primarily located in the Delaware drainage areas with in the Commonwealth
                        of Pennsylvania.  

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 Midland Painted Turtle  (Chysemys picta marginata)

  Description:  This turtle reaches about the same 7inch length as the Eastern
   Painted turtle but is the common turtle of western portions of Pennsylvania.  
   The easiest way to distinguish it from its cousin the eastern is by the dark blotch
   of color on its lower shell or plastron.   Populations are found in the Ohio and Erie
                        drainage areas in PA.

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Northern Red-Bellied Turtle

   (Pseudonyms rubriventris bangsi)

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Snakes of Pennsylvania

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Lizards of Pennsylvania

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Coal Skink Eumeces anthracinus
Rare, Not Common

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Five-lined Skink Eumeces fasciatus
Rare, Not Common

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Broadhead Skink Eumeces laticeps
Rare, Not Common

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To encounter a lizard in Pennsylvania is very rare    Often they are found in "pocket populations" where there may be several in a close proximity of each other but yet a short distance away there maybe none.     This puts the entire colony in a very fragile state, one disaster could eliminate the entire colony.   If you get the rare opportunity to see a lizard in the wild in PA, please do not try to catch it and try to do what ever possible to see the habitat remains undisturbed.  

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