Turtles & Tortoises

Turtles And Tortoises Common Names

TURTLES AND TORTOISES COMMON NAMES
(Testudines)


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)

Suborder Cryptodira

Suborder Pleurodira

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 Trionychidae
(Softshell Turtles)

Family Cheloniidae
(Sea Turtles)Family Dermochelyidae
(Leatherback Turtles)
Family Pelomedusidae (Afro-American Sideneck Turtles)Family Chelidae (Austro-American Sideneck Turtles)

Turtles and TortoisesThis is not a complete list of Turtles but should be a pretty good list. If you know of others then please fell free to let us know and we will add it. If you happen to have a picture of one of the turtles listed and would like to add it to our gallery please let us know too.

Common Names

Common Name Picture Care

Snapping Turtles

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 )
Ouachita Map Turtle
(Graptemys pseudogeographica ouachitensis)
Sabine Map Turtle
(Graptemys pseudogeographica sabinensis)
Texas Map Turtle (Graptemys versa)

 

Common Name Picture Care

Mud Turtles

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

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 SliderBox Turtle In The Garden
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

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

Pancake tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri) caresheet
naming
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
Texas Tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri) Lifestyle
Aging my Tortoise
Breeding
Identify
Names
Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) Lifestyle
Aging my Tortoise
Breeding
Conservation
Names
Speckled Tortoise, Homopus signatus Caresheet
African spurred tortoises, Geochelone sulcata Caresheet
Caresheet
Caresheet
Caresheet
Caresheet

 

Red-footed Tortoise, Geochelone carbonaria caresheetTurtles and tortoises Common Names
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 mydascaresheet

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

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles

Back to top button