How many species of turtles are in Georgia?

Turtles are among the oldest and most primitive groups of reptiles, dating back all the way to the dinosaurs. They’re found in a wide variety of environments and live all over the world in almost every type of climate. Here are 10 species of turtles in Georgia you’re likely to encounter.

What kind of tortoises live in Georgia?

The gopher tortoise is the only land tortoise native to the Southeast, living in longleaf pine savannahs of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. The gopher tortoise dwells in pine forests with deep, well drained soils and an open understory that provides food and nesting sites.

How do I identify my turtle?

Scutes are labeled based on their location on the turtle shell. The shape, color, and pattern of the carapace are some of the key methods of identifying different turtles and tortoises. Land turtles usually have rounder and heavier shells than aquatic turtles, who are thinner and more streamlined for easier swimming.

What are the 7 turtle species?

Information About Sea Turtles: Species of the World
  • Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) …
  • Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) …
  • Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) …
  • Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) …
  • Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) …
  • Olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) …
  • Flatback (Natator depressa)

Are there alligator turtles in Georgia?

Range and Habitat: The alligator snapping turtle is only found in rivers and streams that flow into the Gulf of Mexico. They are found as far north as Iowa in the Mississippi River drainage, west into eastern Texas, and east into southern Georgia and the Florida panhandle.

Do box turtles bite?

They rarely snap, hiss or bite like many other turtles, so children are often allowed to keep one as a pet for a few hours or days. Box turtles will quickly eat a meal of fresh tomatoes, cantaloupe or earthworms, and after we’ve enjoyed observing them for a while, they can be released unharmed back where they were …

Can you own a tortoise in GA?

Georgia law prohibits keeping most native wildlife species as pets, including gopher tortoises. The law also generally prohibits possessing parts of protected non-game wildlife, such as tortoise shells.

Can you have a gopher tortoise as a pet?

They also receive protection through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. It is illegal to have a gopher tortoise as a pet as well as to handle or harm them.

Are Eastern box turtles tortoises?

The eastern box turtle is a subspecies of the common box turtle (Terrapene carolina). While in the pond turtle family, Emydidae, and not a tortoise, the box turtle is largely terrestrial. Box turtles are slow crawlers, extremely long-lived, and slow to mature and have relatively few offspring per year.

Can you keep an eastern box turtle as a pet?

Box turtles can make great pets if cared for properly. Before bringing any pet – reptile or other – home, be sure to do research to learn about its requirements, so that you can properly care for it.

What is the fine for killing a gopher turtle?

Transgressions against gopher tortoises can be permit violations, resulting in a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and/or a $500 fine, according to FWC.

Will a gopher tortoise bite?

Gopher tortoises are docile creatures and don’t bite back to protect themselves. Typically, tortoises will pull their head into their shell and use their front legs as a shield.

What do I do if I find a gopher tortoise in my yard?

Leave the tortoise alone and keep dogs and children away from the tortoise and its burrow. If possible, avoid mowing, digging, driving over or otherwise disturbing the area right around the burrow. Trimming of grass or weeds right around the burrow can be done using a weed trimmer.

Can I touch a gopher turtle?

Gopher tortoises are a federally protected species. Current Florida state regulations clearly indicate that it is illegal to handle or disturb gopher tortoises or to bother their burrows.

What time of day do gopher turtles come out?

They tend to avoid the heat of the day, foraging in the morning and late afternoon. >> Gopher tortoises are regarded as endangered in South Carolina and Mississippi, and they are protected in Georgia.

Can you move a gopher turtle?

Gopher tortoises must be relocated before any land clearing or development takes place, and property owners must obtain permits from the FWC before capturing and relocating tortoises.

How big does a gopher turtle get?

–11 inches
Appearance. The gopher tortoise is a moderate-sized, terrestrial turtle, averaging 9–11 inches in length when fully grown, though it can reach lengths of up to 15 inches (Ernst et al. 1994). The species is identifiable by its stumpy, elephantine hind feet and flattened, shovel-like forelimbs covered in thick scales.

How do you get rid of a gopher turtle?

What do tortoise burrows look like?

Active gopher tortoise burrows are easily identified by their classic flat bottomed, high domed appearance and characteristic area of excavated soil in front of the opening called the apron. Tortoise burrows gently slope down, whereas mammal burrows usually slope straight down.

What do box turtles look like?

They are usually brown or black with radiating yellow markings on each scute. The scales on the turtle’s body may be yellow, orange, or reddish. Box turtles are called box turtles because they can withdraw their arms and legs, tail, and head into their shell and close up tightly.

Do gopher turtles carry diseases?

A number of pathogens such as Mycoplasma spp., Herpesvirus, and Ranavirus are known to cause upper respiratory tract disease in gopher tortoises.