Kingdom – Animalia

Phylum – Chordata

Class – Reptilia

Order – Testudines

• Emydidae
• Trionychidae
• Chelydridae
• Kinosternidae

Turtles have:

• a shell that completely covers both of their limb girdles
• no teeth on their jaws
• an external ear supported by a large, semicircular quadrate

Emydidae – Pond and Box Turtles

• twelve marginal scutes on each side
• shell has no inframarginal scutes (plastron connects directly to the marginals)
• found in North America, northern South America, northern Africa, Europe, and Asia

Painted Turtle
Spotted Turtle
Blanding’s Turtle
Northern Map Turtle
Ouachita Map Turtle
False Map Turtle
River Cooter
Eastern Box Turtle
Ornate Box Turtle
Pond Slider

Kinosternidae – Mud Turtles

• eleven marginal scutes on each side
• inframarginal scute connects carapace to plastron
• found in North and South America
• capable of releasing a foul smelling musk

Yellow Mud Turtle
Eastern Mud Turtle
Eastern Musk Turtle

Chelydridae – Snapping Turtles

• large heads and limbs that can not be pulled into shell fully
• long tails
• strong jaws with hook on upper jaw
• reduced plastron
• found in North America, South America, and Southeast Asia

Snapping Turtle
Alligator Snapping Turtle

Trionichyidae – Softshelled Turtles

• carapace lacks scutes
• the bone is covered by leathery skin
• lie in wait predators, they spend long periods underwater
• long necks allow them to breathe at the surface while their body is submerged
• found in North America, South America, Asia, and Africa

Smooth Softshell
Spiny Softshell