Types of turtles: the 3 main categories of turtles

Turtles can make great pets and a welcome addition to any home if they are treated properly. To properly care for these creatures, it is very beneficial to know the different types of turtles. Turtles are seen as an exotic pet species and most people underestimate the routine care and maintenance that goes into keeping them as pets.

There are many different species and they all have subspecies. Learning about all the different species would take months, but there are ways to break down the types of turtles to make them more manageable. In a broad sense, turtles can be classified into three categories: tortoises, tortoises, and sea turtles. These three types of turtles have very different lifestyles and requirements.

Turtles

When talking about these animals, people think of all sorts of different examples. Some people think of a small box turtle that they caught as children, while others would think of the majestic sea turtles that glide through the oceans surrounding tropical islands. They are both types of turtles, but they lead very different lives.

A turtle, by definition, is a semi-aquatic animal, which means that it spends part of its life in water and part of its life on land. Most species of turtles spend most of their time in the water and come to land primarily to bask in the sun, which emits much-needed vitamin D3.

Good examples of semi-aquatic animals are the painted turtle and the red-eared slider. As pets, these turtles have more water than dirt in their environment. A small section of its tank would be dedicated for the turtle to bask under an ultraviolet lamp. This provides vitamin D3 and raises your core body temperature.

Turtles

Turtles are terrestrial, which means they spend most of their time on land. This is as good as these turtles are very clumsy swimmers. That is not to say that they won’t take a dip in shallow water every now and then, but if they turn around and get caught underwater they could drown.

A good example of a turtle would be the box turtle. People who own box turtles as pets generally keep them in an outdoor turtle pen, where weather and temperature allow. Only shallow water is provided for wading and drinking. Your wildlife environment must be recreated precisely for good health. Factors such as temperature, humidity and some type of stimulation for the turtle are necessary for good health and development.

Sea turtles

Sea turtles stay in the water all the time. Sea turtles inhabit all the world’s oceans except the Arctic region, where it is too cold to support sea turtle life. The only time these turtles leave the ocean is to lay their eggs, then they return to the sea.

Sea turtles usually live in salty or brackish waters. Pet turtles that stay in the water can be called “aquatic.” These also come in freshwater varieties, but many say that even a little sea salt in your freshwater tank is much better for your health.

With an understanding of the three types of turtles, it is much easier to divide the subspecies from there. Among all species, some have tendencies and behaviors that lean more towards other types of turtles. For example, there are people who own typically clumsy swimming box turtles that were quite graceful in the water. On the other hand, certain types of painted turtles spend more time on land than others. This is a good starting point for learning about the many types of turtles.

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