Description: The Eastern Spiny Softshell has a leather like shell that is very round and flattened, when comparing it to other turtles. The average incubation period of the eggs is 75 days. Another distinguishable feature of the Common Musk turtle can be found on its head in the form of two light colored stripes. Here you will also find countless interesting turtle facts about turtles, tortoises, terrapins and sea turtles. How Much Do Turtles Cost? If you don’t know what the species is, click on the text to work through the key. Where it lives: They generally prefer water streams, but they can also be found in lakes, ponds and manmade environments. The lower part of the shell is usually yellow with a rich mottling of brown. Alligator snappers, which most people will never see, are listed as endangered, and they inhabit only larger rivers and streams in the southern part of the state, the Mississippi, Ohio and Wabash Rivers, and tributaries directly connected to them. REMAINING (number with state) Bridge inframarginal scute number 4 (2) 3 (1) Bridge inguinal scutes developed Absent (1) Poorly (1) Well (1) Bridge width 1/2 or more of abdominal shield (1) This water is important for moistening the soil of the nest site. How big it can get: Most Painted turtles reach sizes between 5 and 7 inches. It is important to get the turtle back in the wild as soon as possible. On the one hand, the thirty eight species recorded in the state puts it at the above average range for snake diversity. Baby slider turtles for sale are cheap, easy to care for, and quite inquisitive. How big it can get: Most Box turtles reach sizes between 5 and 7 inches. Turtles (order Testudines), including tortoises, are reptiles with bodies encased in bony shells. How big it can get: Spotted turtles are one of the smallest turtle species in the US, usually it only reaches sizes between 3 and 4 inches. Razorback Musk Turtles. Place the turtle in a container or box. These turtles are light tan in color and their shells, as their name suggests, feature a ridge along the top. We are a passionate group of writers and researchers who write about pet turtles and turtles in general. The incubation period is longer than that of most turtles, lasting around 100 to 110 days. The long tail of a snapping turtle should not be used to lift the turtle, since the weight of the body can sever the turtle’s spine. The whole process takes one-two months. Every state in the US has different laws regarding native turtles and turtles in general. Reproduction: Nesting season is May to July. TurtleOwner.com is owned and operated by The Turtle Owner Team. And they have a pronounced beak-like mouth. Reproduction: The nesting period starts in May and ends in July. Where it lives: All Painted turtles subspecies prefer to live in freshwater, and they can be usually found in slow moving rivers, ponds, and lakes. With so many options, choosing a pet turtle can be overwhelming. If those turtles manage to reproduce, they can easily start a new alien species in a new area. The amount of time it takes the eggs to hatch is around 80 days. Reproduction: Nesting period starts in May, and ends around the end of July. On this site you will find articles that cover every basic thing that a turtle owner needs to know, as well as all the advanced stuff. What you can do if you find a native wild turtle really depends on your intentions. Repair Damage: What to Know Before Making Repairs, Contact an IDNR District Wildlife Biologist. How big it can get: Most of them reach sizes between 8 and 12 inches, but it’s not uncommon to find females that reach sizes bigger than that, sometimes even 15 inches. Most states, including Illinois, have laws that protect wild native turtles. Diet: In general they prefer fruits, vegetables and other forms of vegetation over meat, but they can be occasionally seen eating insects and snails. They can be usually be found across throughout open woodlands as well as grasslands and meadows. Illinois designated the painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) as the official state reptile in 2005 (also the reptile symbol of Michigan). Take special care when moving snapping turtles. Colloquially, the word "turtle" is generally restricted to fresh-water and sea-dwelling Testudines. The upper part of the shell is covered with a red or orange pattern that resembles hieroglyphs, hence the name Hieroglyphic River Cooter. It is best to grab the snapping turtle by its hind legs (one in each hand) and use them as handles. Where it lives: Like most aquatic turtles, the musk turtle can be found in all mind of slow moving and still body waters. If you want to take a few photos from a distance, you can definitely do that. The scientific name of this turtle is Terrapene Carolina Carolina. There are a lot of systems that track the conservation status of a species, but the most well known and used is the one I used in this article, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Scutes may contain a beautiful pigmentation that looks like a sun's rays. Additionally, curbs along roads and parking lots and railroad tracks can trap turtles. Least concern (LC) – Lowest risk; does not qualify for a higher risk category. Description: The Southern Painted Turtle has an olive, dark brown or black upper shell that presents a very visible red, orange or yellow line that traverses the entire length of the shell. If you want to know more reasons why you shouldn’t do this, you should ream my article: Can Pet Turtle Survive in the Wild?, In this article I explore all the possible outcomes of this situation. The amount of time it takes the eggs to hatch is around 80 days. Diet: Map turtles are omnivorous, so they will eat meat, insects, fruit, vegetables, aquatic vegetation, and everything else that they can find. Hello, I am Victor, and I have a turtle pond that is the home of 6 turtles and 2 tortoises. The lower part of the shell is usually a yellow. The skin of the Mississippi Map Turtle is usually covered with thin yellow lines. Identification. Besides the shape of the shell, the other most recognizable element is the pattern of the shell and skin, the pattern of the Eastern Box turtles can vary from individual to individual but it can usually be described as a lot of spots or blobs, that are colored yellow, red or orange. Diet: Smooth softshell turtles are omnivores, but they definitely prefer meat over plants, so in general they will consume meat, insects, snails, and fish, and occasionally they will eat some fruits, vegetables and other kinds of vegetation. There are 17 species of turtles in Illinois, 14 in Southern Illinois. Description: The Common Map Turtle Usually ranges in color from dark brown to black. Turtles in Illinois include common snappers, a few alligator snappers (in the Mississippi river system), western and midland painted turtles, red-eared sliders, eastern and three-toed box turtles (and I think there are some western box turtles in a small part of Illinois, on the part that goes with the Great Plains, though I might be wrong on that), and some kinds of mud, musk, and map turtles. The female produce eggs in the range of 10-50 at one go. The United States is home to more turtle species than any other country in the world, almost 100 species and subspecies. Many are crushed by vehicles while they are crossing roads. If you find our articles helpful, and you like our site we would like to ask for your help. Data deficient (DD) – Not enough data to make an assessment of its risk of extinction. Turtles In Kentucky. Incubation usually lasts between 70 and 100 days. (With 20 Examples and Pictures). There are approximately 330 species of turtle in the world, 17 of which are found in Illinois: Emydidae - Pond and Box Turtles twelve marginal scutes on each side Turtles don’t have a strong natural smell. Size: 3-5 feet long and weighs 200-500 lbs. When it comes to the meat they will scavenge, or actively hunt their prey in the water. Illinois is home to 21 turtle species. Two kinds of snapping turtles occur in North America, and both of them can be found in Illinois. How big it can get: Between 12 and 15 inches, in rare cases some of them can reach even 19 inches. Placing a wire basket (with a top) over the nest site can protect the nest from predators such as raccoons and opossums. The biggest known alligator snapping turtle reached 31.5 inches. Like all Illinois pond turtles, males have longer front claws than the female, with these claws used in a mating ritual. The skin is usually covered in multiple yellow spots. Turtles can be highly aquatic (staying in water most of their lives) or semi-aquatic. You can support our site and thousands of other turtle owners by contributing with a small donation. When turtles hibernate, they enter a very profound sleep which allows them to conserve energy. Loggerhead Sea Turtles. Description: The color of the Western Painted Turtles usually ranges from dark olive to black. A lot of people believe that turtles smell bad, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Their carapace can include shades of black, gray, green, brown, or yellow. Where it lives: Blanding’s turtles usually inhabit clean shallow waters with soft bottoms and abundant vegetation. Reproduction: The nesting period takes place between May and July. You can check out the laws of Illinois on this page: Turtle State Laws. In this article I am going to take a closer look at each species and cover a few basic things about them, things like the appearance, lifespan, how big it can get, diet, where it lives, conservation status and reproduction. The incubation usually lasts between 70 and 100 days. If a turtle must be moved, there are several steps that you should take to minimize impacts on the turtle. Most Commonly-seen Freshwater Turtles in California There are very few species of turtles found in California, so if you see one at the edge of a pond or stream in the majority of the state, it is almost always one of the following three species. How big it can get: In general Smooth Softshell turtles reach sizes between 6 and 13 inches. How long it can live: Between 30 and 50 years. The skin is usually dark brown or black with yellow, orange or red lines. They also nest in exposed sand or soil in yards, along railroad tracks and trails edges, in agricultural fields, and in crushed limestone trails, especially if these areas are near permanent water. Alligator snapping turtles are found only in the United States. The upper side of the skin is usually black and covered with spots just like the upper part of the shell, while the lower part of the skin is colored just like the underside of the shell, yellow, orange or red. The skin is also covered with very spike-like structures. If you want to take turtles from the wild you will need a fishing license from the state. As the Ouachita Map Turtles age the map pattern, as well as the keel become less pronounced. Here is a list that explains what every status means: The turtle species that I listed above are known as native species, but there can be other turtle species that live in that area that are not native, those species are called alien species. So they can be usually seen in rivers, slow moving streams, lakes and ponds. Aquatic and terrestrial turtles can encounter a number of hazardous situations in Illinois’ human-dominated landscapes. Overall I strongly suggest you not to do this, it can be very dangerous for the ecosystem and for the turtles as well. Reproduction: Nesting season usually starts in late May and lasts until August. Reproduction: Nesting season starts in May and ends July. What to Expect and How to Prevent. If the rescuer cannot find water nearby, and the female turtle has released water, the turtle should be placed in a container of shallow water for a couple of hours before being released. So a certain state might be home to 10 turtle species, but only 5 of them can be native. But in general they prefer waters that have a soft bottoms, like mud or sand. Firmly grasp the shell from the top and bottom of the shell with the fingers and lift the turtle. 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