Description: Medium to large turtle, with males measuring 5 to 9 inches and females up to 12 inches. Skin is green to olive with light stripes, with a borderless red, orange, or yellow stripe behind the eye.

Habitat: Permanent wetlands with plenty of aquatic vegetation in still or slow water.

Distribution: Most common in the Canadian and Pecos river systems of eastern New Mexico. Also present in the Rio Grande, where it was introduced.

Behavior: Diurnal from April through October. Shy, often seen basking on logs away.

Food: Omnivorous, with juveniles more carnivorous and adults more herbivorous in nature.

Status: Common.

Description: Large and heavy-bodied, growing 9 to 19 inches with a long tail. Powerful jaws used for feeding and defense.

Habitat: Prefers quiet, permanent waters with aquatic vegetation.

Distribution: In New Mexico, lives in drainage systems of the Pecos, Canadian and Dry Cimarron rivers and a small, possibly introduced, population in the central Rio Grande.

Behavior: Aquatic, spending most of its time on the bottoms of rivers and lakes.

Food: Omnivorous, feeding mostly on invertebrates, plants and carrion.

Status: Common.

Snapping turtle(Chelydra serpentina)

Description: Most adults reach 4 to 5 inches. Skin color is dark brown to reddish brown with yellow to orange spotting and yellow jaws.

The eye color is bright red in males and yellowish to reddish-brown in females.

Habitat: Most abundant in grasslands with soft soils suitable for burrowing.

Distribution: Below 7,000 feet, except the northwest.

Behavior: Terrestrial, most active in early mornings and late evenings and in cloudy or rainy weather.

Food: Omnivorous, eating a wide variety of insects, animals, carrion, fruits and vegetation.

Status: Common.

Ornate box turtle(Terrapene ornata)

Description: Adults grow to 3 to 7 inches, although females can be larger. The skin is olive with yellow stripes and the carapace is brownish to olive. Males have slightly elongated claws on their forefeet.

Habitat: Prefers permanent, slow-moving waters of rivers, lakes, marshes and ponds and some semi-permanent waters such as irrigation ditches and ponds.

Distribution: In New Mexico, primarily the Pecos, Rio Grande and San Juan river systems and some lakes and ponds.

Behavior: Active during the day from March through October, spending much time basking in the sun.

Food: Omnivorous, eating fish, invertebrates, plants and carrion.

Status: Common.

Painted turtle(Chrysemys picta)

Description: A medium turtle with females averaging 8 inches and males 6 inches. Yellowish green stripes on the head and neck. Legs and exposed skin marked with red, yellow and black. Shell is ornately marked with yellow and black lines and blotches.

Habitat: Prefers large, deep pools of rivers with aquatic vegetation and muddy, sandy or rocky bottoms.

Distribution: In southeastern New Mexico, found in the Pecos, Black and Delaware rivers.

Behavior: Semi-aquatic, often seen basking on logs or muddy banks.

Food: Omnivorous, feeding on aquatic plants, invertebrates and vertebrates.

Status: State threatened.

Western river cooter(Pseudemys gorzugi)

Description: Medium-sized turtle, with adults averaging 5 to 9 inches. Females are larger than males. Skin is green to olive green with light stripes, with a prominent yellow or orange spot on back of head with black borders. The carapace is olive-brown with many orange curved lines.

Habitat: Rivers, side channels and adjacent ponds with substantial vegetation.

Distribution: In New Mexico, found only in the southern half of the Rio Grande.

Behavior: Diurnal from April through October, often seen basking on logs and mud banks.

Food: Omnivorous and opportunistic, with juveniles appearing to be more carnivorous than adults.

Status: Uncommon, restricted range.

Big Bend slider(Trachemys gaigeae)

Red-eared slider(Trachemys scripta)

Description: New Mexico’s smallest turtle, with adults ranging from 3 to 6 inches. Skin is gray or grayish olive, usually with a bright yellow or cream colored throat and lower jaw. Shell is olive.

Habitat: Grasslands and woodlands near quiet waters with muddy or sandy bottoms.

Distribution: In New Mexico, common in the eastern third of the state and some populations in the southwest.

Behavior: Secretive and shy, feeding and mating in water, but spending more time on land as it is a poor swimmer.

Food: Omnivorous, feeding on living and dead animal matter and vegetation.

Status: Common.

Yellow mud turtle(Kinosternon flavescens)

Smooth softshell turtle(Apalone mutica)

Description: The smallest softshell turtle, ranging in size from 8 to 14 inches, with females larger than males. The leathery shell is olive to orange-brown with darker spots, streaks or blotches. Males have long, thick tails.

Habitat: Primarily rivers, but sometimes found in lakes or ditches with soft, sandy or silty bottoms.

Distribution: In New Mexico, only in the Canadian River drainage in the eastern part of the state.

Behavior: Aquatic, spending very little time on land. A very strong swimmer, it can easily maneuver upstream against strong currents.

Food: Carnivorous, eating mostly a variety of invertebrates, fish and amphibians.

Status: Uncommon.

Spiny softshell turtle(Apalone spinifera)

Description: A large-sized turtle ranging from 14 to 19 inches. The rough surface of the shell is olive or tan, with a pattern of white or dark spots. Males have a long, thick tail.

Habitat: Virtually any form of permanent water with soft bottoms.

Distribution: In New Mexico, native to the Cimarron, Canadian, Pecos and Rio Grande river systems. A population in the Gila River most likely was introduced.

Behavior: Highly aquatic, powerful swimmers and extremely agile on land. Seldom seen and often unnoticed because of their extreme wariness and speed.

Food: Carnivorous, feeding on invertebrates, fish and amphibians.

Status: Common.

Sonoran mud turtle(Kinosternon sonoriense)

Description: A small turtle ranging in size from 2 to 6 inches. Skin is dark gray with cream-colored mottling on the head and neck. Shell is brown to olive.

Habitat: Permanent streams, springs and ponds with rocky or sandy bottoms and aquatic vegetation.

Distribution: In New Mexico, found only in southern Catron, western Grant and Hidalgo counties in the southwestern corner of the state.

Behavior: Secretive. Spends most of its time on the bottom except for basking. Terrestrial activity is rare.

Food: Carnivorous, preferring insect larvae and snails, but also may eat fish, frogs, tadpoles and plant material.

Status: Uncommon.

Turtles of New Mexico

Photo: Jim Stuart

Photo: Charlie PainterPhoto: Jim Stuart

Photo: Jim Stuart

Photo: Charlie Painter Photo: Charlie PainterPhoto: Charlie Painter

Photo: Jim Stuart

NativeIntroduced

Photo: Jim StuartPhoto: Jim Stuart

2011 is the Year of the TurtleThe fossil record show

s us that turtles have been on the planet for m

ore than 220 million years. A

lthough they have survived through turbulent periods of E

arth’s natural history, they are now at the top of

the list of species disappearing from the planet. W

orld-wide, alm

ost 50 percent of turtle species are listed as threatened. Their plight is part of the ongoing w

orldwide loss of biodiversity.

There are many actions w

e can take to slow or reverse this trend.

To raise awareness of the plight of turtles and tortoises, the P

artners in A

mphibian and R

eptile Conservation has designated 2011 as the

“Year of The Turtle.”

Researchers, educators, natural resource m

anagers and the public are joining together to increase aw

areness of local, national and international turtle issues. A colorful m

onthly newsletter on turtles

from around the w

orld can be found at: ww

w.yearoftheturtle.org.

In the United S

tates, freshwater turtles are getting a boost from

recent recom

mendations from

the scientific comm

unity. These recom

mendations include better m

onitoring and tracking of turtle exploitation, as w

ell as the need for more long-term

population studies on turtles in the w

ild.

Look for turtles in your area. Join a network of other concerned

citizens that monitor turtle populations. B

y taking part in the Partners

in Am

phibian and Reptile C

onservation-Turtle Mapping P

roject, you can help increase inform

ation about New

Mexico’s turtles. M

any freshw

ater turtles are little studied and basic ecological information

is lacking. You can participate in this effort by printing out turtle locality data sheets from

the Project’s w

ebsite: ww

w.parcplace.org/

yotmapping.htm

.

Turtle Biology

The earliest known turtles date from

the Triassic Period, about 220

million years ago. Fossil records show

us that turtles then looked m

uch as we know

them today.

Turtles are reptiles characterized by a special bony or cartilaginous shell. It is developed from

their ribs and spine and acts like a shield. Turtles and tortoises occur in fresh w

ater, in salt water and on land.

Com

monly called cold-blooded, turtles are “ectotherm

s;” they vary their internal tem

perature according to the ambient outside

temperature. N

ew M

exico is home to 10 species ranging in size from

tw

o to 19 inches. The spiny softshell and the snapping turtle can

reach the largest sizes. New

Mexico’s turtles are prim

arily found in or near w

ater. The snapping turtle and spiny softshell are the most

aquatic of our turtles, spending most of their tim

e on the bottom,

often buried in mud. The exception is the ornate box turtle. It is m

ost abundant in grasslands w

ith soft soils suitable for burrowing.

Carrying their shelter on their backs, turtles have the ability to

withdraw

their necks pulling them back into their shell, called the

carapace. The lower shell that encases their belly is called the

plastron. The carapace and plastron are joined together on the sides by bony structures called bridges. The inner layer of a turtle’s shell is m

ade up of about 60 bones that include portions of the backbone and the ribs. The outer layer of their shell is covered by thin plates called “scutes”. They are part of a turtle’s skin and add strength to their shell.

Shells are com

monly brow

n, black or olive-green. Som

e have red, orange, yellow

or grey spots, lines or irregular blotches. New

M

exico’s Big B

end slider and red-eared slider are examples of

turtles with colorful spots and stripes on their bodies.

Most turtles have eyes that look forw

ard and down at objects in front

of them. A

quatic turtles such as snapping and soft-shelled turtles have eyes closer to the top of their heads. Turtles are thought to have exceptional night vision due to the unusually large num

ber of rod cells in their retinas. Turtles have good color vision.

Turtles have a rigid beak and use their sharp jaws to cut and crush

their food. Instead of teeth, the upper and lower jaw

s are covered w

ith a sharp ridge.

How

You Can H

elp TurtlesThe U

nited States has m

ore native turtle species than anywhere on

Earth, m

aking it a turtle biodiversity hot spot. New

Mexico is hom

e to 10 species of turtles. O

ur careful stewardship can preserve the

rare species and keep comm

on species comm

on.

Hum

ans can make a positive difference for turtles. The largest

threats to them include habitat loss and degradation, overharvesting

of wild turtles for food and traditional m

edicines, deaths due to vehicles and m

achinery, fishing by-catch, exotic invasive species, diseases, loss of unique genetic m

akeup due to interbreeding and hybridization and clim

ate change

Becom

e better informed. Learn about turtles in your area.

Share this inform

ation with your colleagues and incorporate

teaching about turtles into your classroom. You can find m

ore inform

ation about turtles at the Turtle Conservation Fund w

ww

.turtleconservationfund.org, Turtle Talk R

escue ww

w.turtletalkrescue.

com, Turtle and Tortoise P

reservation Group w

ww

.ttpg.org, Center

for North A

merican H

erpetology ww

w.folksem

antic.com, the N

ew

Mexico D

epartment of G

ame and Fish w

ww

.bison-m.org and the

Association of Zoos and A

quariums w

ww

.aza.org.

Check state law

s regarding permits that m

ay be needed if you plan to handle or trap turtles. Alw

ays ask permission to go on private land.

Learn how to m

ake your comm

unity turtle friendly. Avoid the use of

pesticides and herbicides. Provide a source of w

ater that is shallow

and accessible. Pick up trash along lakes, rivers and stream

s. Do

what you can to keep our w

aters clean. Be a responsible pet ow

ner and keep your cats and dogs under control, especially if you have good turtle habitat. D

ogs and cats are very effective turtle predators.

Before you get a turtle as a pet, ask yourself if you are ready for

a long-term com

mitm

ent of perhaps 40 to 50 years. If you already have a turtle as a pet, never release it into the w

ild. Not only is

it illegal but introduced turtles can harm native species through

spreading disease, predation and competition. The B

ig Bend slider

turtle is threatened by inter-breeding with red-eared sliders to w

hom

they are closely related. Before you buy a turtle, check out the

Rio G

rande Turtle and Tortoise Club w

ww

.rgttc.org for information

on what to expect. To avoid the problem

of what to do w

ith an unw

anted animal, plan w

hat you will do w

ith them B

EFO

RE

you obtain one.

The Box Turtle

Turtles are unique creatures; there is nothing like them in the anim

al w

orld. With their hard shell, slow

movem

ents and seemingly gentle

nature, many people are attracted to turtles.

Perhaps the best-know

n turtle in New

Mexico is the ornate box

turtle. As the m

ost widespread turtle and the only one that is largely

terrestrial, it is a turtle you might have encountered. M

any budding herpetologists (scientists w

ho study reptiles and amphibians), likely

started their interest with finding a box turtle.

Except for thick w

oods and steep rocky mountain slopes, box turtles

are found throughout New

Mexico. The only place w

here they haven’t been found is in the far northern part of the state. The best place to find them

is in grasslands where they have enough loose

soil to burrow into. A

lthough they can dig their own burrow

s, they feel right at hom

e using other animals’ burrow

s. In some places,

they are found in kangaroo rat burrows.

The best time to look for box turtles is in the early m

orning and evening, especially during cloudy or rainy w

eather. As the soil

warm

s up in April or M

ay, they come out to look for food. Like m

any turtles in colder parts of the country, ornate box turtles hibernate underground, usually from

Novem

ber through March.

Turtles are opportunistic omnivores m

eaning they eat plants and anim

als they find. They prefer insects, bird eggs, small dead

mam

mals, tadpoles, snails, crayfish, w

orms and even bugs in cow

dung. W

ithout any teeth, they tear apart their food with their beak

and front claws and sw

allow their food in chunks.

Females lay anyw

here from tw

o to eight eggs at about seven to eight years of age. They don’t stick around to w

atch over their nest. They lay them

in a shallow hole at night w

hen predators are less likely to spot a tasty m

eal of turtle eggs. Like many turtles, they are

long-lived and can survive up to 30 years in the wild.

If you find a box turtle in your yard, avoid the use of herbicides or pesticides and keep dogs and cats aw

ay from them

. Som

e people have had box turtles around their hom

es for years. Take a clear picture of its shell (top and bottom

) and use that to identify it in the future. You also can report your find to U

SA Turtle W

atch ww

w.

follybeach.com/turtle.php.

New

Mexico D

epartment of G

ame and Fish

P.O. Box 25112, Santa Fe, N

M 87504, (505) 476-8100, w

ww

.wildlife.state.nm

.us

A B

ig Ben

d slider, right, alon

g with

two pain

ted turtles. N

ative Big B

end sliders are th

reatened by poten

tial h

ybridization w

ith n

on-n

ative red-eared sliders.

Jim Stuart Photo

Th

e com

mo

n o

rnate

bo

x turtle

Jim Stuart Photo

A spin

y softshell tu

rtle keeps a wary eye ou

t for predators as it cruises th

e surface of Eleph

ant B

utte Lake.

Jim Stuart Photo