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Tortoise, terrapin, or turtle are all names given to the familiar group of reptiles that have a protective shell covering their bodies. Colorado is home to four species of aquatic turtles and one terrestrial turtle. The painted, snapping, spiny softshell, and yellow mud turtles inhabit Colorado lakes, ponds, irrigation canals, marshes, and rivers—mostly in the eastern half of the state. Colorado’s one land-dweller, the ornate box turtle, occupies the short-grass prairie, sandhills, and parts of the eastern drainages of the South Platte and Arkansas Rivers.

April through October is “herp” season in our state. Herps or herptiles is the collective term that biologists use to refer to reptiles and amphibians. Being cold-blooded, herp activity is dictated by the temperature of the surrounding environment. Turtles spend the winter in hibernation by crawling into underground burrows or burying themselves in the mud or sand. From spring to fall, water turtles will usually spend a great deal of time basking in the sun on logs, rocks, or along banks of waterways in order to raise their body temperature. The sun’s ultraviolet light also helps to kill parasites attached to the turtle’s skin or shell. During the spring and fall box turtle activity peaks about mid-day. However, in summer, the mid-day heat will send this land-dweller into the shade of shallow, underground burrows.

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Where to look: To find aquatic turtles, look for permanent bodies of water at the lower elevations, especially in the eastern part of the state. Lakes, ponds, and marshes with partially submerged logs or rocks provide excellent basking sites for turtles. Snapping turtles prefer water habitats with soft, muddy bottoms and lots of submerged plants.

Where to go: Fountain Creek Regional Park, site fourteen in the Colorado Wildlife Viewing Guide, Second Edition, has ponds and marshes that are home to four species of aquatic turtles—snappers, spiny-soft shell, painted, and pond slider (a non-native species). Ornate box turtles have also been spotted in the open fields of this park. For a chance to observe yellow mud turtles, check out the waterways on the extreme eastern margin of the state, especially along the Republican River drainage.

South Republican State Wildlife Area, site nine in the viewing guide, may provide an opportunity to see this least-common Colorado turtle.

(The viewing guide is available at many bookstores, through our online store, or through the Colorado Wildlife Heritage Foundation.)

To learn more about Colorado turtles and other herps, resources are available from the Colorado Division of Wildlife: Amphibians and Reptiles in Colorado by Geoffrey A. Hammerson (available through our online store), the Herpetofaunal Atlas Web pages, and the Quick Key to Amphibian and Reptiles of Colorado . The atlas and key explain how you can participate in the effort to observe, record, and share information about Colorado’s amphibian and reptile species.

Happy "herping"!