Type of Shell: Hard shell with dorsal keels

Ouachita Map Turtles are found in the central states, from Minnesota west to eastern Kansas, south to Louisiana and east to Kentucky. There is also an isolated population of them in central Ohio. Like many map turtles, this species is mainly found in rivers, but will inhabit other bodies of water such as lakes and swamps. Most of their range is around the Mississippi drainage area.

Males grow to a maximum size of around five inches, while females can be as large as ten inches. According to biologist Peter V. Lindeman, this sexual dimorphism is mainly caused by different maturation rates. Male map turtles mature by the time they are five years old, and females can take as long as 14 years to mature (Lindeman 2004). This difference in body size also allows for some difference in diet and habitats.

This species is omnivorus, with females eating more aquatic plant materal than males. Both sexes will eat mollusks, insects and carrion. Females of this species does not get the mega-heads that Barbour's, Escambia, Pascagoula and Alabama Map Turtles have, thus reducing the size of mollusks that they can eat.

Breeding season starts first thing in the spring, and eggs are laid from May to July. In some parts of its range, it may lay multiple clutches. Each clutch is usually around 10 eggs.

The species is named after the Ouachita River, which is 605 miles long and runs from southwestern Arkansas to northeastern Louisiana. This river eventually merges with the Red River, and then with the Mississippi River.

Many map turtle species are considered river turtles because they share certain traits that help them live in a lotic (flowing) environment. River turtles tend to nesting on sand banks, have streamlined shell shapes, their body is denser than water and they are powerful swimmers (Moll & Moll 2004). To learn more about river turtles, please read Don Moll and Edward O. Moll's book: "The Ecology, Exploitation, and Conservation of River Turtles" (ISBN: 0-19-510229-0).

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