There are 11 types of turtles in Minnesota that can be found in forests, lakes, streams, ponds, and bogs. There are small turtles like Musk turtles who only get about 5 inches long, all the way up to Common Snapping and Softshell turtles that can grow up to 19 inches long.
Wherever you go you might see turtles in Minnesota, and we are here to help you identify them all. Now, let’s explore the 11 species of turtles found in the North Star State.
Table of Contents
Turtles in Minnesota
1. Blanding’s Turtle
- Experience Level: Intermediate
- Family: Emydidae
- Scientific Name: Emydoidea blandingii
- Other Names: N/A
- Adult Size: 5 to 8 inches (12.5 to 20 cm)
- Life Span: Up to 80 years
- Average Price Range: $300 to $450
- Conservation Status: Endangered
Blanding’s turtles are named after the 19th century American naturalist, William Blanding. He discovered this turtle in 1830 while exploring the Fox river in Illinois. Though he kept a specimen that is still on display today at Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences, it wasn’t named until 8 years later.
These turtles are found along many of the Great lakes and in Canada, but their populations are scarce and scattered across the area.
If you happen to see this turtle, you will notice a highly domed shell on a medium sized turtle. The shell is dark colored but has small, faded speckles. This characteristic is secondary to the bright yellow chin and bottom half of the neck.
These turtles have a hinged plastron similar to Box turtles so they can close themselves inside their hard shell. Unlike box turtles, the Blanding’s turtle can’t completely shut itself in.
When exploring bogs, marshes, and other soggy wetlands with little to no current, keep an eye out because these turtles love these areas. They may be buried in the mud, in the water, or wandering along the heavy vegetation.
Blanding’s turtles eat a wide range of vegetation and protein sources including insects, worms, mollusks, crustaceans, leeches, and fish.
Map Turtles in Minnesota
2. False Map Turtle
- Experience Level: Beginner
- Family: Emydidae
- Scientific Name: Graptemys pseudogeographica
- Other Names: Sawback turtle
- Adult Size: 3.5 to 10.5 inches (9 to 26.5 cm)
- Life Span: 30 to 50 years
- Average Price Range: $6 to $40
- Conservation Status: Least concern
False Map turtles have an olive, grey, or brown carapace (fancy name for the upper shell of a turtle) with lighter colored, dark outlined swirls and markings. They look similar to the contours of a map, hence their name.
Younger False map turtles have a black ridge running down the middle of the carapace, and saw-toothed ridges on the back edge. These markings smooth out substantially as they age. They also have vivid stripes along their head, neck, and limbs.
On False Map turtles, you can see a backward L shape behind each eye, and yellow stripes that run from the neck that touch the edge of the eyes. It may be difficult to get this close to them because they are a skittish species that jump into the water when they sense trouble.
There is a significant size difference in the sexes in Map turtles. Females are generally twice as large as males. Female map turtles can grow to 8 to 10 inches long, while males rarely exceed 5 inches in length.
3. Northern Map Turtle
- Experience Level: Beginner
- Family: Emydidae
- Scientific Name: Graptemys geographica
- Other Name: Common map turtle
- Adult Size: Between 4 and 10 ½ inches
- Life Span: 15 to 20 years
- Average price range: Between $20 and $60
- Conservation Status: Least concern
Northern Map turtles have the widest range of any Map turtle in Minnesota, but they are still confined to larger rivers and streams in southern and central-eastern counties. Like other subspecies of Map turtles, these aquatic turtles are great swimmers and rarely leave the water except to bask.
These turtles have many similar physical attributes that other subspecies have. One distinctive difference—though small and difficult to see—is the triangular or oval shaped white or yellowish patch of color behind the eyes. This helps to distinguish Northern Map turtles from other species.
Map turtles are mostly carnivorous. Females—with larger heads and stronger jaws—eat mussels, freshwater clams, and crayfish as well as snails. Smaller males have to eat insects, fish, and smaller crayfish and softer clams.
Map turtles will occasionally consume some plant material.
4. Ouachita Map Turtle
- Experience Level: Beginner
- Family: Emydidae
- Scientific Name: Graptemys ouachitensis
- Other Names: Southern Map turtle
- Adult Size: 3.5 to 10 inches (9 to 25.5 cm)
- Life Span: 15 to 20 years
- Average Price Range: $40 to $100
- Conservation Status: Least concern
Ouachita Map turtles are the rarest of Minnesota’s Map turtles. They are only found in a few southeastern counties along Wisconsin’s border. In this area, they prefer to inhabit large rivers and streams with moderate currents.
You can tell the Ouachita Map turtle from the other species here in Minnesota by the ridge and the prominent spots on the head. The Ouachita turtle has a raised keel running down the middle of the carapace, except there are 3 to 4 raised scutes along this ridge.
On the head, you’ll see a rectangular spot behind each eye and an oval shaped one under the eyes. These spots may be conjoined to form a C mark on some turtles. They also have a pair of round spots on each side of the jaw.
Musk Turtles in Minnesota
5. Eastern Musk Turtle
- Experience Level: Intermediate
- Family: Kinosternidae
- Scientific Name: Sternotherus odoratus
- Other Names: Common Musk turtle, Stinkpot
- Adult Size: 4 to 5 inches
- Life Span: 30 to 50 years
- Average Price Range: $30 to $120
- Conservation Status: Least concern
Eastern Musk turtles are rarely seen in Minnesota. It may be because these turtles are rather small, even when fully grown, they don’t leave the water often, and they are nocturnal.
Also called Stinkpots because they are able to release a foul musk if they are in danger, these little turtles have a high domed, dark colored, oval carapace. Their head is somewhat pointed, and you’ll notice a pair of stripes that start at the snout and can go back to the neck.
These turtles also have fleshy barbels on the neck and chin. Since they spend so much time in the water, they often have strands of algae living on their shell.
Marshes, bogs, swamps, and permanent water with stagnant or slow-moving waters are where these turtles will hang out. They prefer heavy vegetation so they can climb it to get to the surface. Musk turtles are not great swimmers.
These omnivores will eat crayfish, mollusks, fish, leeches, and some vegetation.
Painted Turtles in Minnesota
6. Western Painted Turtle
- Experience Level: Beginner
- Family: Emydidae
- Scientific Name: Chrysemys Picta Belli
- Other Names: N/A
- Adult Size: Between 4 and 10 inches
- Life Span: Between 30 and 50 years
- Average Price Range: Between $30 and $150
- Conservation Status: Least concern
Painted turtles are the most widespread species of turtles across the nation, and the Western Painted subspecies is the most popular Minnesota turtle.
Wherever there are shallow rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, or marshes, you’ll probably find this species. They are medium-large turtles that are often seen basking on logs, sandbars, or outcroppings.
Western Painted turtles have dark colored, nearly black, smooth carapaces with red markings along the edge. Their plastron is bright red or deep orange with a mirrored pattern along the midline.
The skin and scales on these turtles are olive, dark brown, or black with yellow, orange, or red stripes.
Western Painted turtles eat a wide variety of insects, aquatic invertebrates and fish, and vegetation such as cattail seeds and stems, and algae.
Snapping Turtles in Minnesota
7. Common Snapping Turtle
- Experience level: Intermediate to Expert
- Family: Chelydrida
- Scientific Name: Chelydra Serpentina
- Other Names: Snapping Turtle, Snapper, Eastern Snapping Turtle
- Average Adult Size: 8 to 20 inches
- Life Span: 30 – 50 years
- Average Price Range: Approximately $40 to $120
- Conservation Status: Least concern
The Common Snapping turtle is a big turtle that can weigh up to 35 pounds. You’ll instantly recognize these beasts by their long, thick legs and wide, imposing heads. They have a dark grey, brown, black, or greenish carapace.
Often the shell is covered in mud and algae because these hefty turtles like to lay at the bottom of the water, cover themselves in the mud, and wait for food to come to them.
Their skin can be a dingy yellow, to dark brown and it’s covered in fleshy spikes and bumps.
In the water, these big turtles are elusive and shy. Though they have a bad reputation for eating waterfowl, there have only been a few documented cases. Snapping turtles aren’t active hunters and are rather lethargic the bigger they get.
When this turtle is encountered out of the water it can become aggressive if confronted. They know they don’t have much protection on the land and are afraid of animals bigger than they are (us).
If you see Snapping turtles out of the water, just leave them alone, and they won’t bother you. Sometimes they leave the water to find a suitable nesting site or a different habitat. They can travel long distances to find what they are looking for.
Snapping turtles are mostly carnivorous, preferring to eat amphibians, fish, worms, crayfish, and small turtles, but will occasionally eat algae and plants.
Softshell Turtles in Minnesota
8. Smooth Softshell Turtle
- Experience Level: Intermediate to Expert
- Family: Trionychidae
- Scientific Name: Apalone mutica
- Other Names: Spineless Softshell
- Adult Size: 4.5 to 14 inches
- Life Span: 25+ years
- Average Price Range: $40 to $60
- Conservation Status: Least concern
Smooth Softshell turtles are flattened reptiles with floppy shells that offer little protection from large predators. They are brown, olive, or grey on top, and white or cream colored on the underside.
These turtles have very webbed feet which makes them excellent swimmers. They are also very swift on land and will attempt to bite if handled.
Softshell turtles have long, tube-like snouts that help them reach the surface to breathe. They like to cover themselves in sandy, or muddy substrate where they can stretch their necks up to get a breath of air. There they wait to ambush prey such as fish, crayfish, insects, tadpoles, and other aquatic food sources.
Smooth Softshell turtles prefer shallow streams, rivers, and other swift-running, clear waters with soft bottoms.
9. Spiny Softshell Turtle
- Experience Level: Intermediate to Expert
- Family: Trionychidae
- Scientific Name: Apalone spinifera
- Other Names: N/A
- Adult Size: 5 to 9 ½ inches for males, 10 to 20 inches for females
- Life Span: Between 20 and 50 years
- Average Price Range: Between $20 and $120
- Conservation Status: Threatened in some areas
Very similar in appearance to the Smooth Softshell species, Spiny Softshell turtles have fleshy tubercles on the front carapace, which can extend farther down the flattened, soft shell. They have dark spots, dots, or circles on the upper shell.
Softshell turtles are able to stay submerged for a very long time compared to other turtles. This is because they can breathe through their skin in the water. If the water is very oxygenated, these turtles can stay submerged for hours at a time without coming for a breath.
Softshell turtle females are much larger than males. This sexual dimorphism causes females to grow up to 19 to 20 inches, while the males of the same species only grow to about 5 to 9 inches long.
Like other softshell turtles, this species is mainly carnivorous but will nibble on plants here and there.
Wood Turtles in Minnesota
10. Wood Turtle
- Experience Level: Intermediate
- Family: Emydidae
- Scientific Name: Glyptemys insculpta
- Other Names: N/A
- Adult Size: 5.5 to 9 inches
- Life Span: 40 to 60 years
- Average Price Range: $250 to $500
- Conservation Status: Endangered
Wood turtles are beautiful looking, endangered turtles. Their carapace looks like it’s made of wood. It has deep ridges that resemble wood grain and is a deep rich brown color.
The scutes are slightly raised further giving the appearance these turtles are ornate carvings. Their skin and scales are brown to reddish. Their limbs can be red or orange, and they are often called Redleg turtles.
The plastron on these turtles is beige or tan and has black blocks along the edge.
Wood turtles are semi-aquatic and spend most of the warm months on dry land. They inhabit marshes, swamps, bogs, streams, and other areas with shallow water and a lot of plant life.
Wood turtles can cause worms to come to the surface by stomping the ground. This light stomping imitates falling rain and causes worms to crawl out of the ground. The turtle then eats them before they realize they have been tricked.
Aside from worms, Wood turtles eat berries, mushrooms, plants, insects, snails and slugs, fish, millipedes, and spiders.
Non Native Turtles in Minnesota
Pond Sliders in Minnesota
11. Red-eared Slider
- Experience level: Beginner
- Family: Emydidae
- Scientific Name: Trachemys scripta elegans
- Common Name: Pond slider, Red-eared terrapin, Water slider
- Average Adult Size: 6 – 8 inches
- Life Span: 20 to 40 years
- Average Price Range: approximately $30 to $100
- Conservation Status: Least concern
Red Eared Sliders are very popular pets, but unfortunately, they get released in the wild and thrive. This turtle’s native range is the Southeastern section of the U.S., but they are popping up in the west, and far North where they don’t live naturally.
The problem with releasing Red Eared sliders in the wild is they quickly become an invasive species. They can survive in nearly any kind of water, and they have proven capable of withstanding harsh winters. These turtles are aggressive to other turtles and often crowd native species out
Red Eared sliders have a dark brown, or olive colored carapace with yellow, orange, and/or green markings. They have a tan to yellow plastron with black spots. They have stripes on their legs, tail, neck and head, and a pair of red patches just behind their eyes.
Red Eared sliders are omnivores that will eat dead fish, live fish, crayfish, plants, insects, tadpoles, and whatever is available in the environment.
They prefer slow-moving waters, but are excellent swimmers and can adapt to a wide range of habitats.
FAQs
Can you keep turtles you find in Minnesota?
It may be illegal to take turtles from the wild, in addition, turtles removed from their habitat can harm the local environment as well as shorten the life of the turtle. Wild turtles don’t live long in captivity.
If you want a pet turtle, find an upstanding, legal breeder, or search Facebook marketplace or other places to adopt a turtle.
Where do Minnesota turtles go in the winter?
When the weather starts turning cold, turtles will find places to hibernate. Some will bury themselves in mud, while others find places to hibernate in the water or dig a burrow to protect themselves from harsh, cold winters. Turtles are cold-blooded and have to protect themselves from cold temperatures.
Wrapping up
There you have it, all the turtles that can be found in Minnesota. We hope you found this interesting and want to get out and see these turtles in the wild for yourself. Maybe you can use this guide to help you decide what pet turtle you’d like to have.
Whether you use this list as a field herping guide for yourself, or to help decide on a pet turtle, we hope you enjoyed it. If so, we implore you to leave a comment below. You can talk about turtles you’ve seen, turtles you own, or to discuss Minnesota’s turtles with fellow herping enthusiasts.
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