The more I researched turtles, the more I realized that there was a far wider variety than I knew. I kept finding more and more turtles I had never heard of before. So, just for curiosity, I wanted a list of all the different kinds of turtles and what they were.
I thought while I was at it, I might as well throw in some information about how to ID each turtle from all the others (as best I can), that turtle's natural range and diet, and link to a few care sheets and pictures. This is because I have noticed that information about many turtle species can be very difficult to locate, and even more so for those of us with disabilities. For example, as a blind user, the Austin Turtle Page, a website that is widely used as a resource, is not accessible to me. I am building this website to be accessible to such people as best I can, so I wanted to include as much information as I could.
You could possibly have the chance to rescue a sick or injured turtle off the streets. In order to help that turtle, you would need to be able to identify it, to simulate its natural habitat, and to feed it the right things. So the purpose of this web page is to help you find those things. It does not replace a good care sheet (which I will link to when I can find one, as I will NOT link to a care sheet based on outdated info), and a visit to a knowledgeable herp vet, but when nothing else is available it is a starting place...
If you know of any turtles that are not listed here, or can help to fill in the gaps or correct any information, PLEASE contact me and do so! It will be much appreciated. Thank you for reading here...
(Note: This page is still in process, so right now it is just basically a partial list of turtle species names, but I will be adding more and filling in the gaps as we go along. So if you have a turtle on your hands, please check back regularly! It's turning out to be a much bigger project than I thought, though, and is taking quite awhile to do.)
Sea turtles
Brackish terrapins
Aquatic turtles
Semiterrestrial turtles
Tortoises
Sea turtles
Kemp's Ridley sea turtle
Olive Ridley sea turtle
Hawksbill sea turtle
Australian Flatback sea turtle
Green sea turtle
Loggerhead sea turtle
Leatherback sea turtle
Kemp's Ridley sea turtle
Lepidochelys Kempii
Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle
Range: Adults mostly stay in the gulf of Mexico while young turtles range in the shallow coastal areas of the northwest Atlantic Ocean and along the Eastern United States
Identifying factors: Triangular head; carapace is very rounded; front flippers have one claw while the rear flippers may have two; adults have a dark gray-green carapace and white or yellowish plastron while young turtles are jet black
Lepidochelys Kempii: Kemp's Ridley
Click here for a picture!
Adult size: Two feet in length; 77 to 100 pounds
Diet: Crabs, clams, mussels, shrimp, sea urchins, fish, squid, jellyfish and occasionally seaweed and sargassum
Recommended as pets: NO. This is a critically endangered sea turtle which needs to stay wild in order to help recoup their numbers. They are also relatively large for pets, and little information is known about them so it would be difficult to keep one healthy for long. Only licensed people who are rehabilitating sick or injured turtles should keep any of these turtles.
Threats to survival: Commercial harvesting of turtles and eggs for meat; incidental takes in shrimp trawling
Status: Critically endangered
Facts: This is the smallest of sea turtles. It gets its name from Richard Kemp, who helped to discover and study the turtle, and possibly from the Olive Ridley which has similar nesting behavior.
Resources:
Caribbean Conservation
Sea Pics Inc.
Care sheet: None
Olive Ridley sea turtle
Lepidochelys Olivacea
Olive Ridley sea turtle
Range: Tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans; typically inhabits coastal bays and estuaries; this turtle's range does not overlap that of the Kemp's Ridley
Identifying factors: This turtle looks much like the Kemp's Ridley with its dark olive-green carapace and white or yellowish plastron, except it has overlapping scutes which are asymmetrical
Lepidochelys Olivacea: Olive or Pacific Ridley or olive loggerhead
Click here for a picture!
Adult size: 2 to 2.5 feet; 77 to 100 pounds
Diet: Crabs, clams, barnacles, fish, shrimp, algae, sea jellies, sea squirts, and squid
Recommended as pets NO. This is an endangered sea turtle which needs to stay wild in order to help recoup their numbers. They are also relatively large for pets, and little information is known about them so it would be difficult to keep one healthy for long. Only licensed people who are rehabilitating sick or injured turtles should keep any of these turtles.
Threats to survival: Commercial harvesting of turtles and eggs, destruction of nesting sites, and incidental catches in longline fisheries and shrimp trawling
Status: Endangered
Facts: This turtle is very similar to but more numerous than Kemp's Ridley. They have been known to dive down to depths of 500 feet to feed on bottom-dwelling shrimp and mollusks. Like the Kemp's Ridley, this turtle nests en masse rather than single females coming to shore at night whenever she is ready. It is not understood why these turtles nest this way.
Resources:
Caribbean Conservation
World Chelonia Trust
Care sheet: None
Hawksbill sea turtle
Eretmochelys imbricata
Hawksbill sea turtle
Subspecies: Imbricata, Bissa, Squamata
Range: Most tropical of sea turtles; they inhabit coral reefs, lagoons, and estuaries of tropical and subtropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans.
Indentifying factors: Narrow head with tapered V-shaped beak and two pairs of scales in front of the eyes; orange, brown, or yellow shell; carapace is smooth and oval in shape but scutes on the sides and back are usually slightly serrated; two claws on flippers
Eretmochelys Imbricata Imbricata: Atlantic Hawksbill
This subspecies ranges primarily in the Atlantic Ocean.
Click here for a picture!
Eretmochelys Imbricata Bissa: Pacific Hawksbill
This turtle ranges primarily in the Pacific Ocean.
Click here for a picture!
Eretmochelys Imbricata Squamata
This subspecies is not yet recognized by many. It ranges primarily near New South Wales, Queensland, and Tasmania.
I was unable to locate a picture of this subspecies.
Adult size: 2.5 to 3 feet in length, 100 to 150 pounds
Diet: Sponges, squids, and shrimp that are extracted from crevices in coral reefs
Recommended as pets: NO. This is a critically endangered sea turtle which needs to stay wild in order to help recoup their numbers. They are also relatively large for pets, and little information is known about them so it would be difficult to keep one healthy for long. Only licensed people who are rehabilitating sick or injured turtles should keep any of these turtles.
Threats to survival: Commercial harvest to use the shell for ornamental items, jewelry, and other uses.
Status: Critically endangered
Facts: This turtle gets its name from its hawk-like beak which enables it to feed from crevices of coral reefs. Its shell, often called "tortoise shell" is highly prized for use in making jewelry.
Resources:
Caribbean Conservation
World Chelonia Trust
Australian Fauna
Care sheet: None
Flatback sea turtle
Natator Depressus
Australian Flatback sea turtle
Range: Limited to Pacific waters of Australia and Papua New Guinea; prefers turbid inshore waters of bays, coral reefs, and grassy shallows
Identifying factors: Shell is very flat and oval in shape; shell is olive grey or yellowish-grey with brown or yellow tones on margins; flippers are creamy white with only one claw; edges of shell are up-turned and scutes are very thin and waxy
Natator Depressus: Australian Flatback
Click here for a picture!
Adult size: 3.25 feet; 155 to 198 pounds
Diet: sea cucumber, prawns, jellyfish, mollusks, sargassum, and seaweed
Recommended as pets: NO. This is a critically endangered sea turtle which needs to stay wild in order to help recoup their numbers. They are also relatively large for pets, and little information is known about them so it would be difficult to keep one healthy for long. Only licensed people who are rehabilitating sick or injured turtles should keep any of these turtles.
Threats to survival: Ocean pollution and oil spills, incidental catches in fishing and shrimp nets, and lights from houses or beach development which disorient the hatchlings on their way to the ocean
Status: Critically endangered
Facts: This is one interesting-looking turtle…It has a very limited range as it is the only sea turtle that never takes to the open ocean at any point of its life. Flatback hatchlings emerge from the egg as large as leatherback hatchlings even though the adult flatbacks are much smaller than adult leatherbacks.
Resources:
Caribbean Conservation
Sea Turtle Network
Care sheet: NoneGreen sea turtle
Chelonia mydas
Green sea turtle
Subspecies: Mydas, Agassizii, Japonica, Carrinegra
Range: All tropical and temperate waters; they mainly stay near sea grass beds living near the coast line, in bays and around islands
Indentifying factors: Lightly serrated jaws; one claw on all flippers; smooth, oval, flattened carapace with colors varying from pale to very dark green or brilliant yellow to dark gray-brown and can be plain to having yellowish, brown or green toned radiating stripes; white, dirty white, or pale yellowish or dark gray-greenish-blue plastron
Chelonia Mydas Mydas: Common Green
This turtle ranges primarily in the Atlantic Ocean. It usually has a green or yellow carapace with a white or yellow plastron.
Click here for a picture!
Chelonia Mydas Agassizii: Black
This turtle ranges primarily in the Pacific Ocean. It usually has a dark, plain gray-brown carapace with a dark gray-greenish-blue plastron, hence the name "black sea turtle".
Click here for a picture!
Chelonia Mydas Japonica: Pacific Green
This turtle ranges primarily in the Indian and west Pacific Oceans and the Mediteranean and Carribean Seas.
Click here for a picture!
Chelonia Mydas Carrinegra: North-east Pacific Green
I was unable to find a picture of this subspecies.
Adult size: 3.5 to 4 feet in length, 300 to 400 pounds; 5 feet in shell length and 871 pounds has been recorded
Diet: Worms and young crustaceans as juveniles, shift to being strictly herbivorous grazing on sea grasses and algae as they mature.
Recommended as pets: NO. This is an endangered sea turtle and all individuals are needed in the wild to help recoup their numbers. Their large size and the fact that little is known about them also makes them difficult for most of us to keep healthy for an extended period of time. Only licensed individuals who are rehabilitating sick or injured turtles should keep any of these turtles.
Threats to survival: Commercial harvesting for eggs and food, stuffing of small turtles for curios, incidental catches in shrimp trawling
Status: Endangered
Facts: This turtle is one of few sea animals to graze on sea grass beds, thus promoting the health of the grass and providing nesting areas for many fishes and turtles and other such sea creatures. It is also the only sea turtle that is primarily herbivorous.
Resources:
Caribbean Conservation
World Chelonia Trust
Kingsnake.com
Care sheet: None
Loggerhead sea turtle
Caretta caretta
Loggerhead sea turtle
Subspecies: Caretta, Gigas
Range: Bays, estuaries, and continental shelves of Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans; frequently take to the open ocean
Identifying factors: Very large head and strong jaws; carapace is heart-shaped with rough scutes; carapace is reddish-brown and plastron is yellowish-brown
Caretta Caretta Caretta
Click here for a picture!
Caretta Caretta Gigas
Researchers are divided over whether this is a valid subspecies.
I was unable to find a picture for this subspecies.
Adult size: 2.5 to 4 feet in shell length, up to 350 pounds; 7 feet in length and 1,199 pounds has been recorded
Diet: Horseshoe crabs, clams, mussels, conch, shellfish and occasionally seaweed
Recommended as pets: NO. This is an endangered sea turtle which needs to stay wild in order to help recoup their numbers. They are also quite large for pets, and little information is known about them so it would be difficult to keep one healthy for long. Only licensed people who are rehabilitating sick or injured turtles should keep any of these turtles.
Threats to survival: Destruction of nesting beaches, predation of eggs, coastal lighting and house development which disorient hatchlings making their way to the water, longline fishing
Status: Endangered
Facts: This turtle gets its name from its large head and strong jaws which enable it to crack the shells of the horseshoe crbs and shellfish it eats. Loggerhead turtles are the largest hard-shelled turtle in the world and they likely possess the largest skull of all reptiles in the world.
Here's a picture of a giant loggerhead skull!
Resources:
Caribbean Conservation
Baja Tortuga
Care sheet: NoneLeatherback sea turtle
Dermochelys coriacea
Leatherback sea turtle
Subspecies: Coriacea, Angusta, Schlegelii
Range: Prefers the open ocean and seems to be tolerant of colder waters
Identifying factors: Head has deeply notched upper jaw with two cusps; soft, leathery shell; carapace is dark grey or black with white or pale spots and 7 lengthwise ridges; plastron is whitish or black with 5 ridges; no claws on flippers
Dermochelys Coriacea Coriacea
Click here for a picture!
Dermochelys Coriacea Angusta
I was unable to find a picture of this subspecies.
Dermochelys Coriacea Schlegelii
I was unable to find a picture for this subspecies.
Adult size: 4 to 7 feet in shell length, 550 to 1,545 pounds; 8 feet and 2,019 pounds has been recorded
Diet: Mainly jellyfish
Recommended as pets: NO. This is an endangered sea turtle which needs to stay wild in order to help recoup their numbers. They are also extremely large for pets, and little information is known about them so it would be difficult to keep one healthy for long. Only licensed people who are rehabilitating sick or injured turtles should keep any of these turtles. In fact, I have yet to see one successfully rehabilitated adult leatherback turtle.
Threats to survival: Garbage such as plastic bags, balloons, and wrappers dumped into the ocean may be mistaken for jellyfish
Status: Endangered
Facts: The Leatherback sea turtle is the largest chelonian in the world, and it is the only reptile that lays hard-shelled eggs. These two facts are especially interesting since the turtle's diet is mainly jellyfish which are mostly water and appear to have very little nutrition. According to satellite tracking, this turtle has been recorded swimming in 40 degrees F water and is the only reptile known to remain active at such cold tempertures. This is made possible by a thick layer of oil which coats the turtle's shell to insulate it from the cold and by the turtle's large body mass. The fact that the leatherback's shell is soft and flexible enables it to be one of the deepest-diving, air-breathing marine creatures. It has been recorded diving down to depths of 3,300 feet to feed on jellyfish.
Resources:
Caribbean Conservation
Care sheet: NoneDiamondback Terrapin
Malaclemys Terrapin
Diamondback terrapin
Subspecies: Terrapin, Centrata, Tequesta, Rhizophorarum, Macrospilota, Pileata, Littoralis
Range:Marshes, tidal streams, and brackish pools of the Eastern and Southern coast of the United States
Identifying factors: Centric-patterned, diamond-shaped scutes on the shell, large hind feet
Malaclemys Terrapin Terrapin: Northern
This subspecies is very difficult to identify but is by far the most common of the diamondback terrapins.
Click here for a picture!
Click here for a picture!
Malaclemys Terrapin Centrata: Carolinan
This turtle has a smooth black, olive, or ivory carapace with almost no keel and a larger head.
Click here for a picture!
Malaclemys Terrapin Tequesta: Florida East-coast
The lack of concentric markings on its carapace makes this turtle the easiest to identify.
Click here for a picture!
Malaclemys Terrapin Rhizophorarum: Mangrove
This turtle has a smooth, brown to black carapace with concentric markings and a slight keel.
Clck here for a picture!
Malaclemys Terrapin Macrospilota: Ornate
Orange or yellow markings on a dark carapace make this turtle truly eye-catching.
Click here for a picture!
Malaclemys Terrapin Pileata: Mississippi
This is the darkest colored subspecies and it has a high keel.
Click here for a picture!>
Malaclemys Terrapin Littoralis: Texas
These turtles' heads are greenish or bluish in color.
Click here for a picture!
Adult size: 8 to 12 inches
Diet: Primarily crabs, clams, barnacles, fish, shrimp, and snails
Recommended as pets: If captive-born, yes. These turtles are very easy to maintain and are frequently captive-bred. They can be difficult to acclimate if they are wild-caught, however, and seem to have issues with shell rot when taken from the brackish bodies of water that serve as their native habitats. Only experts should attempt to do this.
Threats to survival: Commercial trade for food; commercial shrimp nets
Status:
Legality:
Facts: The term "terrapin" actually comes from a French word meaning "turtle soup". These turtles were highly prized as a delicacy, but have made a comeback since harvesting of turtles was banned. Their extremely sociable nature and unique, attractive design has made them popular pets recently. They are easy to keep and breed, and some breeders are developing designer varieties such as the Chesapeake Bay and the Blue Centrata.
Resources:
NeoTerrapin.com
World Chelonia Trust
Care sheets:
Sliders
Chicken turtles
Mud turtles
Sliders
Trachemys Scripta
Slider
Subspecies: Scripta, Elegans, Gaigeae, Venusta, Emollii
Range:
Identifying factors:
Trachemys Scripta Elegans
Red-eared Slider
Click here for a picture!
Caramel Slider
Clic here fora picture!
Pastel Slider
Click here for a picture!
Trachemys Scripta Gaigeae
Rio Grande Red-eared Slider
Click here for a picture!
Trachemys Scripta Scripta
Yellow-bellied Slider
Click here for a picture!
Trachemys Scripta Venusta
Honduran Slider
Cumberland Slider
Click here for a picture!
Pseudemys Scripta Cataspila
Mexican Slider
Trachemys Scripta Emolli
Nicaraguan Slider
Click here for a picture!
Belize slider
Click here for a picture!
Adult size: 8 to 12 inches in shel length
Diet: Small fish, earthworms, crickets, and aquatic plants
Recommended as pets:
Threats to survival:
Status:
Legality:
Facts:
Resources:
Care sheet
Chicken turtles
Deirochelys Reticularia Reticularia
Eastern Chicken Turtle
Deirochelys Reticularia Chrysea
Florida Chicken Turtle
Mud turtles
Kinosternon scorpiodes
Sonoran Mud
Kinosternon Flavescens
Yellow Mud
Kinosternon Subrubrum
Eastern Mud
Kinosternon Steindachnerii
Florida Mud
Kinosternon cruentatum
Red-Cheeked Mud
Pelusios Castaneus
African Mud
Kinosternon Leucostomum
White-lipped Mud
Claudius Angustatus
Narrow-bridged Mud
Mississippi Mud
Clic here for a picture!
Kinosternon Bauri
Three-striped mud turtle
Click here for a picture!
PHRYNOPS WILLIAMSI
WILLIAMS TURTLE
PHRYNOPS GEOFFROANUS
GEOFFROANUS TURTLE
Painted turtles
Chrysemys Picta Marginata
Midland Painted turtle
Chrysemys Picta Picta
Eastern Painted turtle
Chrysemys Picta Bellii
Western Painted turtle
Chrysemys Picta Dorsalis
Southern Painted turtle
Spotted turtles
Clemmys Guttata
Spotted Turtle
Geoclemys Hamiltoni
Spotted turtle
Rhinoclemys Punctularia
Spotted Leg turtle
Podocnemis Unifilis
Yellow-spotted Amazon turtle
River turtles
Dermatemys Mawii
Central American River turtle
Podocnemis Erythrocephala
Cayansis Amazon River turtle
Podocnemis Expansa
Arrau River turtle
Phrynops Hilarii
Argentine River turtle
Carettochelys Insculpta
Pig-nosed Fly River turtle
fly river turtle
Bog turtles
Cyclemys/Clemmys/Calemys Muhlenbergii
Bog turtle
Leaf turtles
Cyclemys Tcheponensis
Leaf turtle
Geomyda Splenglerii
Black-breasted Leaf turtle
Cyclemys Tcheponensis
Striped-neck Leaf turtle
Annamemys Annamensis
Vietnamese Leaf turtle
Cyclemys Dentata
Asian Leaf turtle
Wood turtles
Ornate Wood turtle
Chelopus Rubida Rubida
Mexican Spotted Wood Turtle
Rhinoclemmys Pulcherrima Incisa
Nicaraguan Wood turtle
Rhinoclemmys Pulcherrima Manni
Central American Wood Turtle
Clemmys/Calemys Insculpta
North American Wood turtle
RHINOCLEMYS PULCHERRIMA
MEXICAN WOOD TURTLE
Heosemys Grandis
Giant Asian Wood turtle
Geomyda spengleri
Vietnamese Wood Turtle
Mauremys Japonica
Japanese Wood turtle
chinese wood turtle
Pond turtles
Clemmys/Actinemys Marmorata
Western Pond turtle
Chinemys Nigricans
Red-neck Pond turtle
Siebenrockiella Crassicollis
Black Pond turtle
Chitra vandijki
Van Dijk's Chitra
Chinemys reevesii megalocephala
Chinese Broad-headed Turtle
MALAYEMYS SUBTRIJUGA
SNAIL EATING TURTLE
MELANOCHELYS TRIJUGA THERMALIS
CELYON TURTLE
HIEREMYS ANNANDALLEI
TEMPLE TURTLE
Musk turtles
Giant Musk
Sternothaerus Minor Minor
Loggerhead Musk
Sternothaerus Carinatum
Razor-back Musk
Click here for a picture!
Sternothaerus Odoratus
Common Musk Turtle
Click here for a picture!
Staurotypus salvini
Giant Mexican Musk Turtle
STAUROTYPUS TRIPORCATUS
MEXICAN GIANT MUSK TURTLE
RHINOCLEMYS Rubda RUBIDA
RUBIDA TURTLE
RHINOCLEMYS PULCHERRIMA MANNI
MEXICAN RED TURTLE
Chelodina/Macrochelodina expansa
Broad-Shelled Turtle
Chelodina longicollis
Eastern Long-necked Turtle
SACALIA BEALEI
FOUR-EYED TURTLE
MAUREMYS MUTICA
MUTICA KAMI
Batagur baska
River Terrapin/Tuntong
CALLAGUR BORNEOENSIS
PAINTED TERRAPIN
KACHUGA TENTORIA CIRCUMDATA
TENT TURTLE
KACHUGA TECTA
ROOFED TURTLE
PLATYSTERNON MEGACEPHALUM SHIUI
BIG HEADED TURTLE
NOTOCHELEYS PLATYNOTA
UNKNOWN
PSEUDEMYS FLORIDANA PENINSULARIS
FLORIDA PENINSULARIS
EMYDOIDEA BLANDINGI
BLANDING TURTLE
Pelomedusa subrufa African Helmet Turtle
Ocadia sinensis
Golden Thread Turtle
ACINIXYS PLANICAUDA
FLAT TAILED TORTOISE
CHERSINA ANGULATA
BOWSPRINT TORTOISE
HOMOPUS SIGNATUS
SPECKLED CAPE TORTOISE
GEOCHELONE YNIPHORA
MADAGASCAN TORTOISE
MANOURIA IMPRESSA
PRESSED TORTOISE
GEOCHELONE TRAVANCORICA
TRAVANCORE TORTOISE
PSAMMOBATES TENTORIUS VERROXII
BUSHMANLAND TENT TORTOISE
Acanthochelys macrocephala
Big-headed Pantanal Swamp Turtle
Acanthochelys pallidipectoris
Chaco Sideneck Turtle
Acanthochelys radiolata
Brazilian Radiolated Swamp Turtle
Acanthochelys spixii
Black Spine-neck Swamp Turtle
Cuora yunnanensis
Yunnan Box Turtle
