Different Types of Turtles as Pets

There are 270 different types of turtles living in the world today. I will first describe wild turtles then describe the smaller turtles most commonly kept as pets. Some kinds are the Green Sea Turtle which lives in subtropical and tropical waters; the Snapping Turtle and the Alligator Snapping Turtle of North America; the Common Musk Turtle of the eastern U.S. and SE Canada; the Chicken Turtle of the SE U.S.; the Mesoamerican River Turtle which lives in Central America’s lakes and rivers; the Pig Nosed Turtle of Australia and New Guinea; and the Big-Headed Turtle of SE Asia that actually climbs trees! As you can now see there are numerous types of pet turtles to choose from.

To go into a little detail on two of the above: Sea Turtles are ideally adapted to life in the sea and have flippers in place of feet. They have outstanding eyesight in the water, though not on land. Fortunately for them, some kinds of sea turtles only come on land to lay eggs. Sea Turtle species include the Leatherback, the largest of all turtles. Snapping Turtles are not recommended as pets. They can grow over two feet long and weigh over 80 pounds, and as their name implies, they have a mean disposition and a nasty bite.

The four breeds of turtles most commonly kept as pets are Box Turtles, Mud Turtles, Painted Turtles and Sliders.

Painted Turtles are related to Red-Eared Sliders; they are a semi-aquatic breed normally found in the southern U. S., especially in the Mississippi River. Painted turtles have exquisite colored markings on the underside of their shells. Because of their colorful markings and their peaceful disposition, both are commonly kept as pets. The Painted Turtle reaches a maximum length of 10 inches; Red-eared Sliders can grow to 12 or more inches in length.

Box turtles have high, domed shells which they can shut completely when they feel threatened. They make great pets and since they are entirely land animals and prefer to live in mossy forests, they should be kept in a large outdoor pen with both shady areas and open areas where they can bask in the sun. They usually hibernate in winter by digging down into the soil.

Mud Turtles prefer damp, muddy or sandy habitats, and because they hardly ever grow over five inches in length, they can be kept indoors as well as outdoors. They are omnivores and make excellent pets. If you keep them indoors they need a large tank; if you keep them outdoors in a pen, provide both a covered area and a muddy area. Like Box Turtles they will hibernate in winter, and burrow down into the mud.

In addition, many people enjoy keeping Map Turtles as pets. They are aquatic and live in fresh water. They are so named because of the yellow or cream-colored markings that cover their legs, neck and head resemble road maps. Females grow up to 11 inches and males up to 7 inches; two Map Turtles should be housed in a large indoor tank at least 20 gallons in capacity.

You might also enjoy having Soft-Shelled Turtles as pets. Just be aware that although they are shy around people, they are aggressive around others of their species, which is why you should never keep two of them in the same tank.