TURTLES AND TORTOISES COMMON NAMES
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Read our huge list of turtles and tortoises common names. The Testudines are the only shelled species of reptile or amphibians. All Turtles and Tortoises have an carapace (upper shell) and a plastron (lower shell) to some degree. Sea turtles have a very aerodynamic shell which is thoroughly connected while tortoises have large, dome-shaped shells which look quite cumbersome.There are two main groupings of turtles. The Pleurodira and the Cryptodira. The Pleurodira include the Chelus and Pelomedusa species and retract their heads by bending their necks horizontally. Conversely, the Cryptodira, which comprise most of the Testudines, retract their heads by bending their necks vertically. |
Order Testudines (Turtles) |
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Suborder Cryptodira |
Suborder Pleurodira |
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| Superfam. Testudinoidea | Superfam. Trionychoidea | Superfam. Chelonioidea | |
| Family Chelydridae (Snapping Turtles)Family Emydidae (Pond Turtles / Box and Water Turtles)Family Testudinidae (Tortoises) |
Family Dermatemydidae (River Turtles)Family Kinosternidae (Mud and Musk Turtles)
Family Carettochelyidae (Pignose Turtles) |
Family Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)Family Dermochelyidae (Leatherback Turtles) |
Family Pelomedusidae (Afro-American Sideneck Turtles)Family Chelidae (Austro-American Sideneck Turtles) |
Common Names
| Common Name | Picture | Care |
Snapping Turtles |
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| Florida Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina asceola) | ||
| Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina) | Caresheet | |
| Alligator snapping Turtle (Macroclemys temminckii) | Caresheet | |
| Common Name | Picture | Care |
Box Turtles |
Family | |
| Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) | ||
| Florida Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina bauri) | ||
| Three-toed Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina triunguis) | ||
| Gulf Coast Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina major) | ||
| Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata ornata) | ||
| Desert Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata luteola) |
Chinese Box Turtle Cistoclemmys flavomarginata caresheet
Yucatan Box Turtle, Terrapene carolina yucatana caresheet
| Common Name | Picture | Care |
Map Turtles |
Graptemys Family | |
| Barbour’s Map Turtle (Graptemys barbouri) | ||
| Yellow-blotched Map Turtle (Graptemys flavimaculata) | ||
| Common Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica) | ||
| Mississippi Map Turtle (Graptemys kohnii) | ||
| Black-knobbed Map Turtle (Graptemys nigrinoda) | ||
| Ringed Map Turtle (Graptemys oculifera) | ||
| False Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica pseudogeographica ) |
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| Ouachita Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica ouachitensis) |
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| Sabine Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica sabinensis) |
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| Texas Map Turtle (Graptemys versa) |
| Common Name | Picture | Care |
Mud Turtles |
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| Striped Mud Turtle (Kinosternon baurii) | ||
| Yellow Mud Turtle (Kinosternon flavescens) | ||
| Big Bend Mud Turtle (Kinosternon hirtipes murrayi) | ||
| Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum) | ||
| Missippi Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum hippocrepis) | ||
| Sanoran Mud Turtle (Kinosternon sonoriense) |
| Common Name | Picture | Care |
Musk Turtles |
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| Razorback Musk Turtle (Sternotherus carinatus) | ||
| Flattened Musk Turtle (Sternotherus depressus) | ||
| Loggerhead Musk Turtle (Sternotherus minor minor) | ||
| Stripeneck Musk Turtle (Sternotherus minor peltifer) | ||
| Common Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) |
| Common Name | Picture | Care |
Sliders |
(Trachemys decorata) Hispaniolan Slider
Trachemys decussata decussata Common Cuban Slider
Trachemys decussata angusta Taco River Slider
Trachemys dorbigni dorbigni Southern Orbigny’s or Brazilian Slider
Trachemys dorbigni brasiliensis Northern Orbigny’s or Brazilian Slider
Red-eared Slider, Trachemys scripta elegans caresheet
Trachemys scripta elegans Red-Eared Slider
Trachemys scripta troosti Cumberland Slider
Trachemys scripta emolli Nicaraguan Slider
Trachemys scripta venusta Meso-American Slider
Trachemys scripta chichiriviche Venezuelan Slider
Trachemys scripta scripta Yellow-bellied Slider
Trachemys scripta cataspila Huastecan Slider
Trachemys scripta callirostris Columbian Slider
Trachemys scripta gaigeae Big Bend Slider
Trachemys scripta grayi Gray’s Slider
Trachemys scripta hartwegi Nazas Slider
Trachemys scripta hiltoni Fuerte Slider
Trachemys scripta nebulosa Baja California Slider
Trachemys scripta ornata Ornate Slider
Trachemys scripta taylori Cuatrocienegas Slider
Trachemys scripta yaquia Yaqui Slider
Trachemys stejnegeri stejnegeri Puerto Rican Slider
Trachemys stejnegeri malonei Inagua Slider
Trachemys stejnegeri vivina Dominican Slider
Trachemys terrapen Jamaican Slider
| Common Name | Picture | Care |
Softshell Turtles |
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| Florida Softshell (Apalone ferox) | caresheet | |
| Smooth Softshell (Apalone mutica) | caresheet | |
| Gulf coast Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera aspera) | caresheet | |
| Guadalupe Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera guadalupensis) | caresheet | |
| Western Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera hartwegi) | caresheet | |
| Eastern Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera spinifera) | caresheet |
| Common Name | Picture | Care |
Tortoises |
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| Pancake tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri) | caresheet naming |
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| Hermann Tortoise (Testudo hermanni hermanni – formerly known as T. h. robertmertensi)Hermann Tortoise (Testudo hermani boettgeri) |
picture | caresheet |
| Greek Tortoise (Testudo gracea Gracea) | ||
| Greek Tortoise (Testudo gracea Ibera) | Caresheet | |
| Russian Tortoise (Testudo horsfieldi) | Caresheet | |
| Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) | Lifestyle Aging my Tortoise Breeding Identify Names |
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| Texas Tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri) | Lifestyle Aging my Tortoise Breeding Identify Names |
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| Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) | Lifestyle Aging my Tortoise Breeding Conservation Names |
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| Speckled Tortoise, Homopus signatus | Caresheet | |
| African spurred tortoises, Geochelone sulcata | Caresheet Caresheet Caresheet Caresheet Caresheet |
Red-footed Tortoise, Geochelone carbonaria caresheet
Elongated Tortoise, Indotestudo elongata caresheet
Galapagos tortoise, caresheet
Giant tortoise caresheet
Galápagos Tortoise caresheet
Western Hinge-back Tortoise, Kinixys belliana nogueyi caresheet
Egyptian Tortoise, Testudo kleinmanni caresheet husbandry plight of name
Leopard Tortoise, Geochelone pardalis caresheet
Radiated tortoises (Geochelone radiata) caresheet
Madagascar Ploughshare Tortoise, Geochelone yniphora caresheet
Diamondback terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin caresheet
Australian Snake-necked Turtle, Chelodina longicollis caresheet
Pig-nosed Turtle, Carettochelys insculpta caresheet
Twist-necked Turtle, Platemys platycephala caresheet
Mexican Wood Turtle, Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima caresheet
Reeves’ Turtle, Chinemys reevesii caresheet
Red-bellied Short-necked Turtle, Emydura subglobosa caresheet
Blanding’s Turtle, Emydoidea blandingii caresheet
Bog Turtle, Clemmys muhlenbergii caresheet
Argentine Snake-necked Turtle, Hydromedusa tectifera caresheet
Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) caresheet
Pacific Pond Turtle, Clemmys marmorata caresheet
Impressed tortoise, Manouria impressa caresheet
Asian Forest Tortoise (Manouria emys) caresheet
Matamata Turtle, Chelus fimbriatus caresheet
Painted Turtle, Chrysemys picta caresheet
Red-eared Slider, Trachemys scripta elegans caresheet
European Pond Turtle, Emys orbicularis caresheet
River Cooter, Pseudemys concinna caresheet
Many of the caresheets found are from the California Turtle & Tortoise Club. They have perhaps one of the best web sites on the Internet for reference to Turtle and Tortoises. That’s why they are considered an Essential Site here at Turtle Times.
Scientific Names Of Turtles
| Painted Turtle | Chrysemys picta |
| Red-Eared Slider | Trachemys scripta elegans |
| False Map Turtle | Graptemys pseudogeographica |
| Mississippi Map Turtle | Graptemys pseudogeographica kohni |
| Common map Turtle | Graptemys geographica |
| Red-Bellied Turtle | Trachemys rubriventris |
| River Cooter | Pseudemys concinna |
| Cumberland Turtle | Trachemys scripta troostii |
| Diamondback Terrapin | Malaclemys terrapin terrapin |
| Revees’ Turtle | Chinemys reevesii |
| Mayalan Box Turtle | Cuora amboinensis amboinensis |
| Leaf Turtle | Cyclemys Dentata |
| Common Long-Necked Turtle | Chelodina Longicollis |
| Red-Bellied Side-Neck | Emydura subglobosa albertii |
| Common Musk Turte | Sternotherus odoratus |
| Western Pond Turtle | Clemmys marmorata |
| Alligator Snapping Turtle | Macroclemys temminckii |
| Stireneck Musk Turtle | Sternotherus minor peltifer |
| Razorback Musk Turtle | Sternotherus carinatus |
| Flattened Nose Turtle | Sternotherus depressus |
| Loggerhead Musk Turtle | Sternotherus minor minor |
| Striped Mud Turtle | Kinosternon Baurii |
| Missippi Mud Turtle | Kinosternon Subrubrum hippocrepis |
| Eastern Mud Turtle | Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum |
| Yellow Mud Turtle | Kinosternon flavescens |
| Big Bend Mud Turtle | Kinosternon hirtipes murrayi |
| Ornate Box Turtle | Terrapene ornata ornata |
| Eastern Box Turtle | Terrapene carolina carolina |
| Florida Box Turtle | Terrapene carolina bauri |
| Three-toed Box Turtle | Terrapene carolina triunguis |
| Bog Turtle | Clemmys muhlenbergii |
| Spotted Turtle | Clemmys guttata |
| Blanding’s Turtle | Emydoidea blandingii |
| Wood Turtle | Clemmys insculpta |
| Texas Map Turtle | Graptemys versa |
| Black-nkobbed Map Turtle | Graptemys nigrinoda |
| Ringed Map Turtle | Graptemys oculifera |
| Alabama Map Turtle | Graptemys pulchra |
| Yellow-blotched Map Turtle | Graptemys flavimaculata |
| Barbor’s Map Turtle | Graptemys barbouri |
| Common Map Turtle | Graptemys geographica |
