Turtles

Turtles are aquatic or terrestrial reptiles that have horny toothless jaws and a bony or leathery shell into which the head, limbs, and tail can be withdrawn in most species. They have dry scaly skin and enjoy basking in the sun. All species of turtles lay eggs.

Sea Turtles - Family Cheloniidae – What to know about sea turtles


Loggerhead Sea Turtle (threatened)	Green Sea Turtle (endangered)	Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (endangered)

Snapping Turtles - Family Chelydridae Outdoor Alabama Magazine Article


Common Snapping Turtle	Alligator Snapping Turtle

Leatherback Sea Turtles - Family Dermochelyidae

Atlantic Leatherback (endangered)

Emydid Turtles - Family Emydidae


Southern Painted Turtle	Eastern Painted Turtle	Eastern Chicken Turtle

Barbour’s Map Turtle	Escambia Map Turtle	Northern Map Turtle

Black-knobbed Sawback	Ouachita Map Turtle	Alabama Map Turtle

Mississippi Diamondback Terrapin	Alabama Red-bellied Turtle (endangered)	River Cooter

Florida Cooter	Eastern Box Turtle	Pond Slider

Mud and Musk Turtles - Family Kinosternidae


Striped Mud Turtle	Eastern Mud Turtle	Razor-backed Musk Turtle

Flattened Musk Turtle (threatened)	Loggerhead Musk Turtle	Eastern Musk Turtle (Stinkpot)

Striped-necked Musk Turtle

Tortoises - Family Testudinidae

Gopher Tortoise (western population threatened)

Softshell Turtles - Family Trionychidae


Gulf Coast Smooth Softshell	Florida Softshell	Midland Smooth Softshell

Eastern Spiny Softshell	Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell

Turtles are protected by regulation and by law. These regulations include, but are not limited to:

"No person shall take, attempt to take, sell or possess any turtle egg or turtle or parts thereof from the wild in this state, to include public and private waters, for commercial purposes. This is not to prohibit the operations of properly permitted 'Turtle Farmers' or 'Turtle Dealers' as defined in Rule 220-2-.142."

"This is not to prohibit the removal of turtles from a privately constructed farm pond by the landowner or his agent while controlling nuisance animals as long as the turtles are not sold or traded for anything of value."

"Nothing in this regulation prohibits the taking for personal use of up to two legal turtles per day by hand, dip net or hook and line however, no person shall take more than two turtles per day from the wild in this state, to include public and private waters."

"No person, firm or corporation shall import or cause to be imported, any nonindigenous turtle species for the purpose of propagation."

Sea Turtles - Family Cheloniidae – What to know about sea turtles

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (threatened)

Green Sea Turtle (endangered)

Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (endangered)