• Ornate box turtles are protected in Arizona.turtle image by tomcat2170 from Fotolia.com
  
  Arizona is home to a diverse collection of reptiles and amphibians. Among its more charismatic reptiles are the turtles, which include six native species and three introduced species. Despite the state being primarily composed of desert and scrub-type habitat, Arizona turtles occupy diverse habitats and include lifestyles that range from completely terrestrial to semi- or completely aquatic.
  
  

Desert Tortoise

• Desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) are large terrestrial tortoises with a dome-shaped shell and elephant-like legs. These creatures live along Arizona's western border and most of southwestern and south-central Arizona; they are found on rocky bajadas, hillsides, canyons and mountain slopes. Desert tortoises are federally protected and state protected in Arizona.
  
  

Ornate Box Turtle

• Restricted to Arizona's southeastern corner, ornate box turtles (Terrapene ornate) are state-protected. These small land turtles have dark-colored, dome-shaped shells, ornamented with numerous radiating yellow lines. Ornate box turtles predominantly reside in the plains, low valleys and gentle bajadas of semi-desert grasslands and Chihuahuan Desert-scrub habitats.
  
  

Painted Turtle

• Painted turtles are frequently observed basking on logs.eastern painted turtle (chrysemys picta) image by Bruce MacQueen from Fotolia.com
  
  Painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) are medium-sized aquatic turtles with a low shell, colored dark olive, gray-brown or black, with yellow marks and red lines along the shell edge. They have dark olive-gray heads and limbs, with numerous yellow or cream stripes, and a dark horizontal bar through the middle of each eye. Although native to Apache County, Arizona, painted turtles have been introduced to aquatic habitats around Phoenix, Tucson and Cottonwood.
  
  

Arizona Mud Turtle

• Found only in extreme south-central Arizona, Arizona mud turtles (Kinosternon arizonense) are small, semi-aquatic turtles with flat-topped, dome-shaped shells that are typically olive, yellow-brown or brown. The outside shell edge usually has yellow markings and the shell underside is yellow with two hinges, permitting the shell to close fully. Mud turtles generally stay in or near temporary water sources such as ponds, ditches, cattle tanks and pools within washes.
  
  

Yellow Mud Turtle

• Yellow mud turtles (Kinosternon flavescens) are strikingly similar in appearance to Arizona mud turtles, with one rather technical exception: Yellow mud turtles have a shell morphology whereby the first vertebral shield borders the second marginal shield; these two shields do not connect in Arizona mud turtles. Yellow mud turtles are restricted to a small portion of southeastern Arizona, where they inhabit Chihuahuan desert-scrub and semi-desert grassland habitats.
  
  

Sonora Mud Turtle

• Sonora mud turtles (Kinosternon sonoriense) are found across southeastern and central Arizona in rocky streams, creeks, rivers, ponds, cattle tanks and ditches. The Sonora mud turtle is distinguished from other mud turtles by its head and neck, which have dark olive backgrounds colored with yellow or cream markings known as reticulations (other mud turtles have plain yellow or cream-colored throats and faces).
  
  

Spiny Softshell Turtle

• Spiny softshells have leathery "shells" and a snorkel-like nose.florida softshell turtle image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
  
  A truly odd-looking animal, spiny softshells (Apalone spinifera) have snorkel noses and flat, disc-shaped, leathery "shells" that reach up to 18 inches long. They have been introduced to a variety of permanent aquatic habitats in southern and western Arizona, including rivers, reservoirs, canals and ditches.
  
  

Common Snapping Turtle

• Snapping turtles have long claws and sharp, hooked jaws.common snapping turtle (chelydra serpentina) image by Bruce MacQueen from Fotolia.com
  
  The large, heavy-bodied common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) has been introduced to ponds, canals and urban lakes in the Phoenix area. The snapping turtle's shell is often covered with mud and algae, but the natural color is typically olive, dark brown, gray or black. Snapping turtles have sharp hooked jaws, long spiked tails and long claws.
  
  

Red-Eared Slider

• Red-eared sliders have a red patch on each side of their head.turtle image by dinostock from Fotolia.com
  
  Red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta) are not native to Arizona. Readily identifiable by the red patch on each side of the head, red-eared sliders are often seen basking on rocks or floating logs in rivers, canals, urban lakes and reservoirs near Tucson, Phoenix, Yuma and Montezuma Well.