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Florida

1.  No person shall buy, sell, or possess for sale turtles, their eggs or parts thereof, that have been taken from the wild.
2.  Some turtle farms depend on collection of wild freshwater turtles. With the new rule, certified turtle aquaculture facilities, under a

     tightly controlled permitting system, will be allowed to collect turtles to establish reproduction in captivity so that farms can become self-

     sustaining to lessen their dependence on collection of turtles from the wild.
3.  The transport of more than one turtle per day is prohibited, unless the transporter has a license for sale or exhibition of wildlife,

     aquaculture certification or documentation that their turtles were legally obtained (proof of purchase).
4.  A Class III, exhibition or sale license, is required for the public sale or exhibition of turtles
5.  A special blanket import permit is required to import into the state any non-native species

1.  No person shall take Escambia map turtles (Graptemys ernsti), cooters (Pseudemys spp.) snapping turtles (Chelydra spp.) or Barbour’s

     map turtle (Graptemys barbouri) from the wild.
2.  For turtles not listed above (1), the following restrictions control the take:
        (a)  No person shall take more than one turtle per day unless authorized by permit
        (b)  Turtle eggs may not be taken from the wild
        (c)  Turtles may only be taken by hand, baited hooks, minnow seine nets or dip nets.
        (d)  No softshell turtles (Apalone spp.) may be taken from the wild during the period May 1 to July 31.
        (e)  Turtles may be taken throughout the year in any manner not conflicting with other provisions of these rules.

1.  No person shall take, transport, or possess any alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii), Barbour’s map turtle (Graptemys

     barbouri), Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin)  or Suwannee cooter (Pseudemys suwanniensis), their eggs, or parts thereof.
2.  No person shall possess more than two Escambia map turtles (Graptemys ernsti), two 
box turtles (Terrapene carolina), or two loggerhead         musk turtles (Sternotherus minor).

3.  No person shall buy, sell, take or possess any gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)
4.  No person shall possess any turtle or tortoise on which paint has been applied to its shell or body parts, provided that water-soluble, non-

     toxic identifying marking may be used in turtle racing contests.
5.  No person shall transport more than one turtle or any turtle eggs unless authorized by license or permit.
6.  It is unlawful to buy, sell or possess a Red-eared Slider unless acquired prior to 7/1/2007
7.  It is unlawful to release any non-native species into the wild.

8.  A special permit is needed to import leopard tortoises (Geochelone pardalis), African spurred tortoises (G. sulcata) or Bell's hingeback

     tortoises (Kinixys belliana) from another state except for some publicly owned or research facilities and traveling exhibits.

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SUMMARY OF FLORIDA TURTLE LAWS

Florida Softshell Apalone ferox
Florida Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina osceola
Gopher Tortoise
Gopherus polyphemus
Gulf Coast Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina major
Gulf Coast Smooth Softshell
Apalone mutica calvata
Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell Apalone spinifera aspera
Loggerhead Musk Turtle Sternotherus minor minor
Mangrove Diamondback Terrapin Malaclemys terrapin rhizophorarum
Ornate Diamondback Terrapin
Malaclemys terrapin macrospilota
Peninsula Cooter
Pseudemys floridana peninsularis
Red-eared slider
Trachemys scripta elegans
Spotted Turtle Clemmys guttata
Striped Mud Turtle
Kinosternon baurii
Stripeneck Musk Turtle Sternotherus minor peltifer
Suwannee River Cooter
Pseudemys concinna suwanniensis
Three-toed Box Turtle
Terrapene Carolina triunguis
Yellowbelly Slider
Trachemys scripta scripta

Alabama Map Turtle Graptemys pulchra
Alligator Snapping Turtle
Macroclemys temminckii
Barbour’s Map Turtle
Graptemys barbouri
Carolina Diamondback Terrapin
Malaclemys terrapin centrata
Common Musk Turtle
Sternotherus odoratus
Common Snapping Turtle
Chelydra serpentina serpentina
Eastern Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina carolina
Eastern Chicken Turtle
Deirochelys reticularia reticularia
Eastern Mud Turtle
Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum
Eastern River Cooter
Pseudemys concinna concinna
Ernst’s Map Turtle
Graptemys ernsti
Florida Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina bauri
Florida Chicken Turtle
Deirochelys reticularia chrysea
Florida Cooter
Pseudemys floridana floridana
Florida East Coast Terrapin Malaclemys terrapin tequesta
Florida Mud Turtle
Kinosternon subrubrum steindachneri
Florida Redbelly Turtle
Pseudemys nelsoni

NATIVE SPECIES

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