Cortland Herpatology Connection
Turtle Key
See also species
distribution
maps at the New
York State
Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Project website.
Key to the families of adult turtles in New York | ||
1.a. | Limbs paddle-like flippers | 2 |
1.b. | Limbs not paddle-like | 3 |
2.a. | Shell leathery | Dermochelyidae |
2.b. | Shell with horny scutes | Cheloniidae (species list) |
3.a. | Scutes absent; edges of shell flexible, snout tubelike | Trionychidae |
3.b. | Hard scutes on shell, snout not tubelike | 4 |
4.a. | Very narrow bridge, plastron narrow | Chelydridae |
4.b. | Bridge and plastron wider | 5 |
5.a. | 12 scutes on plastron, none vestigial | Emydidae |
5.b. | 10 or 11 plastron scutes | Kinosternidae |
Key to the species of the family Emydidae of New York | ||
1.a. | Carapace highly domed, blunt curved beak on upper jaw, plastron deeply hinged so shell can completely close | Eastern Box Turtle Terrapene carolina |
1.b. | No distinct central beak, plastron cannot fully close | 2 |
2.a. | Neck and forelimbs light gray with dark spots, growth rings on carapace very obvious | Diamondback terrapin Malaclemys terrapin |
2.b. | Neck and forelimbs not light gray, may or may not show growth rings | 3 |
3.a. | Deep hinge on plastron, carapace somewhat arched and black with yellow flecking | Blanding's Turtle Emydoidea blandingi |
3.b. | Not as in 3.a | 4 |
4.a. | Abdominal scutes of plastron become more narrow on bridge | 5 |
4.b. | Abdominal scutes do not narrow much | 6 |
5.a. | Cusp on each side of central notch in upper jaw, rear edge of carapace smooth, light lines on head and neck all horizontal | Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta |
5.b. | No cusps around notch on upper jaw, some vertical lines on side of head and neck, rear edge of carapace rough | Common Map Turtle Graptemys geographica |
6.a. | Shell smooth, black with scattered yellow spots | Spotted Turtle Clemmys guttata |
6.b. | Shell with growth rings and sculpturing | 7 |
7.a. | Orange blotches behind head, carapace growth rings moderate, plastron dark with light central area | Bog Turtle Clemmys muhlenbergi |
7.b. | No blotches, carapace deeply sculptured, plastron is yellow with dark blotches near outer edges | Wood Turtle Clemmys insculpta |
Key to the species of the family Chelydridae of New York | ||
1.a. | Only species found in New York | Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina |
Key to the species of the family Dermochelyidae of New York | ||
1.a. | Only species found in New York | Leatherback Dermochelys coriacea |
Key to the species of the family Trionychidae of New York | ||
1.a. | Only species found in New York | Eastern Spiny Softshell Apalone spinifera |
Key to the species of the family Kinosternidae of New York | ||
1.a. | Head very dark with white or yellow stripes, plastron narrow with central patches of skin | Common musk turtle (Stinkpot)
Sternotherus odoratus |
1.b. | Head olive brown with indistinct light mottling, plastron broad with no patches of skin | Eastern mud turtle Kinosternon subrubrum |
Much information for the turtle keys was derived from Reptiles of North America by Hobart Smith and E. D. Brodie, Jr.