Kentucky is home to some 15 different species of turtles, including several that spend much of their time in an aquatic environment. Among these are a species that can attain great size and some with patterns on their bodies that give them their name.
Size
Two aquatic turtles of Kentucky are the common snapping turtle and the much larger alligator snapping turtle. The alligator snapper can weigh as much as 200 lbs., making it the biggest of all freshwater turtles.
Identification
Map turtles get their name from the markings on their shells resembling road maps. Kentucky has three types that live in its rivers, lakes and streams---the common map turtle, the Mississippi map turtle and the Ouachita map turtle.
Features
The eastern spiny soft-shell turtle and the midland smooth soft-shell turtle have an upper shell that is not as hard as that of a typical turtle and mouths that have a tubular shape.
Diet
The two painted turtle species in Kentucky have a tendency to eat plants when they get older. When younger, these turtles will eat such creatures as crayfish, slugs and earthworms.
Types
Other aquatic turtles of Kentucky include the red-eared slider, the river cooter, the eastern mud turtle, the false mud turtle and the common musk turtle.
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