15 Types of Pet Turtles That Make Great Companions (With Pictures)
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There are 356 species of turtles but only a few of them make a great pet turtle.
In this article, we will take a look at the different types of turtles that can serve as pets.
We’ll discuss what each type of turtle is like, its pros and cons, and how they differ from one another.
In addition to that, we’ll also talk about which ones are most suitable for pet owners who live in apartments or homes without yards.
So let’s get started!
Different Types of Turtles
First, we need to understand there are three distinct types of turtles, which can lead to a lot of confusion amongst most people.
These are land turtles (also known as tortoises), water turtles, and semi-aquatic turtles.
- Tortoises live exclusively on land and are a type of land turtle
- Water turtles and terrapins live almost entirely in water.
- Semi-aquatic turtles live in both water and on land.
We’ll continue to use the term “tortoise” to describe land-dwelling turtles, while “turtle” will be used as a catchall phrase that can refer to any turtle that’s either aquatic or semi-aquatic.
RELATED READ: How To Care For A Tortoise
Top 15 Best Pet Turtles That Make Great Companions
1. Red Eared Slider Turtle
This is the most popular pet turtle and for good reason.
Known as a red-eared slider, this type of turtle is very recognizable due to its bright red stripe on the side of its head.
They come in different shades, but they’re all very vibrant and attractive when you look at them up close.
In addition to that, they also have a very friendly demeanor and are easy to care for as long as you know what you’re doing.
They can grow up to be more than 12 inches in length, which is why people with larger yards and houses are well-suited to having this type of turtle as a pet.
However, if you don’t have enough space or live in an apartment, this type of turtle is perfectly suited to that environment too.
They’re very active animals and will do well in an enclosure that has plenty of room to roam, as well as a shallow tub that they can swim in.
| Common Names | Slider turtle, red-eared slider, red-eared terrapin, red-eared turtle, water slider turtle |
| Scientific Name | Trachemys scripta elegans |
| Adult Size | 8 to 12 inches |
| Life Expentancy | 20 to 30 years |
| Price Range | Between 5 to 20 dollars |
| Type of Turtle | Semi-aquatic |
RELATED READ: 10 Basic Tips For Caring For Baby Red Eared Sliders
2. African Spurred Tortoise
Also known as the Sulcata tortoise, the African spurred tortoise is a very impressive-looking animal.
They can grow up to be more than two feet in length and weigh over 100 lbs.
As their name implies, they have a large, flat tail with three to five-pointed spikes on the end.
Their shells can also get up to be 14 inches in length and 8 inches in height, which is why you need a very large enclosure to house them properly.
If you’re not careful, they can easily escape from an enclosure that’s meant for smaller turtles due to their sheer weight.
Despite their large size, they are very docile creatures, which is why they make great pets for people who have limited space but still want to have a pet turtle.
However, if you have kids in the house or other young children, it’s probably best to avoid this type of turtle because of its massive size.
They’ll do very well in an enclosure that has a lot of room for them to roam, as well as a shallow pool where they can swim.
| Common Names | Sulcata tortoise, african spurred tortoise, geochelone sulcata |
| Scientific Name | Centrochelys sulcata |
| Adult Size | 24 to 36 inches |
| Life Expentancy | ~150 years |
| Price Range | Between 50 to 200 dollars |
| Type of Turtle | Land Turtle (Tortoise) |
RELATED READ: The Best Substrate for Baby Sulcata Tortoise
3. Box Turtle
Box turtles are very distinctive-looking tortoises with their bright yellow or orange pattern on the top of their shell.
Most box turtles aren’t very big and only grow up to be six inches in length, which is why people who don’t have a lot of space to house them will do well with this type of pet turtle.
In addition to that, they’re very docile creatures that rarely try to bite.
However, just because they don’t have a lot of teeth doesn’t mean they can’t harm you.
Their shells are very hard and if they get mad, they may give you a nasty pinch with their rear feet or tails.
Due to their size and calm nature, they do very well in an enclosure that has plenty of room for them to roam, as well as a shallow pool where they can swim.
| Common Names | Florida box turtle, gulf coast box turtle, three-toed box turtle, eastern box turtle, mexican box turtle, yucatán box turtle |
| Scientific Name | Terrapene carolina |
| Adult Size | roughly 5 to 7 inches |
| Life Expentancy | ~20 years old but with some cases of living of 30 to 40 years |
| Price Range | Between 30 to 200 dollars depending on the species |
| Type of Turtle | Although box turtles are superficially similar to tortoises in terrestrial habits and overall appearance, they are actually members of the American pond turtle family but not so great swimmers |
RELATED READ: How To Take Care Of A Baby Box Turtle
4. Softshell Turtle
Softshell turtles are named as such because they literally have no outer shell.
Instead of having a hard, scaly covering like other types of turtles, they have a soft surface that’s more conducive to life in the water.
This makes them very at home in aquatic environments and they’ll remain submerged in the water for hours at a time.
Their entire body is covered with soft skin, which is why they get their name.
In addition, they have very long necks and a large heads with powerful jaws.
They’ll even puff out their throat as a display of aggression or dominance.
Softshell turtles are much more active than other types of aquatic turtles and will spend hours swimming around in their enclosure looking for small fish to feed on.
For that reason, they do well in enclosures where there’s plenty of room for them to swim around, as well as a deep pool where they can get in and have some exercise.
| Common Names | Smooth softshell turtle, spiny softshell turtle |
| Scientific Name | Trionychidae |
| Adult Size | Depending on the gender they can be anywhere between 7 to 19 inches |
| Life Expentancy | ~50 years |
| Price Range | Between 100 to 170 dollars |
| Type of Turtle | Semi-aquatic |
RELATED READ: The Best Turtle Tanks in 2022
5. Map Turtle
The map turtle is a type of hard-shelled turtle that’s named for its intricate markings that resemble an actual map on the upper shell.
They’re incredibly beautiful creatures that come in a wide array of different colors, including yellow, blue, brown, and red.
Most map turtles are small in size with some becoming fully grown at only five or six inches.
Because of their small stature, they’ll do very well in an enclosure that has enough room for them to swim around and a shallow pool where they can sit.
Map turtles are very friendly creatures, which is why they’re great pets for kids who want something to take care of.
Due to their docile nature, they’ll do very well in an enclosure that has plenty of room for them to swim around and a shallow pool where they can stay.
| Common Names | Northern map turtle, map turtle, common map turtle |
| Scientific Name | Graptemys geographica |
| Adult Size | Depending on the gender they can be anywhere between 7 to 10 inches |
| Life Expentancy | 30 to 50 years |
| Price Range | Between 90 to 180 dollars |
| Type of Turtle | Semi-aquatic |
RELATED READ: How to Keep Turtle Tank Clean
6. Spotted Turtle
Spotted turtles are small aquatic turtles that grow up to be between three to six inches long, which is why they do very well in enclosures with plenty of room to swim around.
These turtles are surprisingly good at climbing out of the water and moving across the ground, which is why they’re able to climb up on rocks in the water and may even move around your house if they escape from their enclosure.
It’s important that you have a covered, secure enclosure if you plan to keep a spotted turtle as a pet because they’re liable to get out and wander around on their own.
They’re very at home in aquatic environments, which is why they do well in an enclosure that has a pool where they can swim around and rocks for them to climb on.
| Common Names | Spotted turtle |
| Scientific Name | Clemmys guttata |
| Adult Size | Female: 11 to 12 inches; Males: 7 to 8 inches |
| Life Expentancy | 25 to 50 years |
| Price Range | Between 75 to 95 dollars |
| Type of Turtle | Semi-aquatic |
RELATED READ: How Much Does a Turtle Cost?
7. Wood Turtle
Wood turtles are small turtles that average between five and nine inches in length at maturity, which is why they’re best kept in an enclosure that has plenty of room for them to roam around.
These turtles are very docile by nature, which means they’re great for beginners who want their first turtle to be something that’s easy to care for.
You don’t have to worry about regulating the water in their enclosure, as they do very well when kept in an aquatic environment.
They only need to be given a small pool of water and a place to bask in the sun. They are highly aquatic, but rather poor swimmers so they a best kept into an enclosure with more land area.
| Common Names | North American wood turtle, central American wood turtle |
| Scientific Name | Glyptemys insculpta |
| Adult Size | 5 to 9 inches |
| Life Expentancy | 40 to 60 years |
| Price Range | Between 390 to 490 dollars |
| Type of Turtle | Semi-aquatic |
RELATED READ: Can You Have Turtles And Fish In The Same Tank
8. Yellow-Bellied Slider Turtle
The yellow-bellied slider is one of the most popular pet turtles on the entire planet.
They’re very active by nature and enjoy spending hours each day swimming around in their enclosure.
In fact, they’ll spend so much time swimming that you need to make sure there’s a pool large enough so they don’t swim around in circles.
Also, because of their size and energy, you’ll need an enclosure that’s at least 100 gallons in size.
They’re very active turtles that do well in an enclosure with plenty of room to swim around and a deep pool so they can actually get in and enjoy themselves.
| Common Names | Yellow-bellied slider turtle, yellow slider |
| Scientific Name | Trachemys scripta scripta |
| Adult Size | Females: up to 13 inches; Males: 7 to 8 inches |
| Life Expentancy | 30 to 50 years |
| Price Range | Between 390 to 490 dollars |
| Type of Turtle | Semi-aquatic |
RELATED READ: The Best Turtle Substrate
9. Painted Turtle
Painted turtles are very gentle by nature and can be handled as much as you like.
They’re great for beginners who want to have a turtle as a pet but don’t know much about how to take care of them.
They’re also great for kids because they have very calm dispositions and are not very skittish.
These turtles will do great in an enclosure that’s fully covered, as they’re known to try and climb over the walls of an open-top enclosure.
They need a water environment where they can swim around, so make sure you have a pool large enough to accommodate them.
| Common Names | Painted turtle, eastern painted turtle, midland painted turtle, western painted turtle, southern painted turtle |
| Scientific Name | Trachemys scripta scripta |
| Adult Size | 5 to 10 inches |
| Life Expentancy | 20 to 40 years |
| Price Range | Between 30 to 150 dollars |
| Type of Turtle | Semi-aquatic |
RELATED READ: What do Baby Turtles Eat?
10. Hermann Tortoise
A Hermann tortoise has a very calm disposition and is very gentle with its owners.
Because of this, they make great pets for kids who want something easy to take care of.
Unfortunately, Hermann tortoises are very poor swimmers and should not be placed in an aquatic environment due to this.
They do very well in an enclosure that has a lot of ground space where they can roam around and dig their burrows.
They’re very calm and well-behaved by nature, which means they’ll do well in an enclosure with plenty of room to roam around and easy to escape from.
| Common Names | Hermann tortoise, western Hermann’s tortoise, eastern Hermann’s tortoise |
| Scientific Name | Testudo hermanni |
| Adult Size | 5 to 11 inches |
| Life Expentancy | ~90 years |
| Price Range | Between 325 to 700 dollars |
| Type of Turtle | Land turtle (tortoise) |
RELATED READ: How Big of a Tank Does a Turtle Need
11. Musk Turtle
Musk turtles are very small turtles that average between two and five inches in size, which means their enclosure needs to be on the smaller side.
They do very well in aquatic environments, so you’ll need to have a pool large enough for them to swim around.
Also, because they’re small turtles, their enclosure doesn’t need to have a deep pool of water.
In fact, musk turtles do well in water environments that are no more than three or four inches in depth.
They’re very weird looking turtles that do well in most aquatic environments that have a large pool and little swimming space.
| Common Names | Musk turtle, eastern musk turtle, common musk turtle, stinkpot, mud turtle |
| Scientific Name | Sternotherus odoratus |
| Adult Size | 2 to 5 inches |
| Life Expentancy | 40 to 60 years |
| Price Range | 30 to 70 dollars |
| Type of Turtle | Semi-aquatic |
RELATED READ: The Best Automatic Turtle Feeder
12. Russian Tortoise
One of the most popular turtles you’ll find for sale is a Russian tortoise.
They’re very easy to take care of, which means they’re a great choice for beginners who don’t have much experience with pet turtles.
They also do very well in the smallest of enclosures, which makes them even more popular among owners who live in apartments or homes that have little to no room for an enclosure.
Russian tortoises are full terrestrial turtles, which means they spend most of their time on land and need an enclosure that has a lot of ground space.
| Common Names | Russian tortoise, afghan tortoise, central asian tortoise, horsfield’s tortoise, four-clawed tortoise, steppe tortoise |
| Scientific Name | Agrionemys horsfieldii |
| Adult Size | 8 to 10 inches |
| Life Expentancy | ~50 years |
| Price Range | 200 to 400 dollars |
| Type of Turtle | Land turtle (tortoise) |
RELATED READ: The Best Substrates for Russian Tortoise in 2022
13. Red-Footed Tortoise
Red-footed tortoises are one of the most popular pet turtles, because they’re very easy to take care of and have a calm disposition.
They do well in most land environments, so you don’t need to have an aquatic enclosure.
Although they do enjoy spending time in the water, you only need to give them a pool that’s large enough for them to get their feet wet.
These medium-sized tortoises generally average 12 inches as adults, but can reach well over 16 inches.
They do well in an environment that has a lot of ground space and very little swimming space.
| Common Names | Red-footed tortoise |
| Scientific Name | Chelonoidis carbonarius |
| Adult Size | Females: 11 inches; Males 13 to 14 inches |
| Life Expentancy | ~50 years |
| Price Range | 300 to 600 dollars |
| Type of Turtle | Land turtle (tortoise) |
RELATED READ: How To Choose The Best Tortoise Enclosure
14. Greek Tortoise
The Greek tortoise is one of the oldest breeds of turtles alive today.
They’re very calm by nature and enjoy being handled, which makes them one of the best pet turtles for beginners who want an easy-to-care-for turtle.
The Greek tortoise can live to be more than 125 years old, with some unverified claims of up to 200 years.
They do well in an enclosure that has a lot of ground space and not much swimming space near the surface of the water.
| Common Names | Greek tortoise |
| Scientific Name | Testudo graeca |
| Adult Size | Between 5 to 8 inches |
| Life Expentancy | 50 years or more with some achieving 125 years |
| Price Range | 300 to 500 dollars |
| Type of Turtle | Land turtle (tortoise) |
RELATED READ: The Best UVB Bulbs for Tortoise
15. African Sideneck Turtle
The African side neck turtle is a very unique breed of turtle that has a neck that’s long and curved.
While they may look a little odd, they’re very easy to take care of and have a calm disposition.
They enjoy being handled by their owners, which makes them a great choice for beginners who want something gentle.
One concern that people have with African side neck turtles is the fact they’re fully aquatic, which means you’ll need to have a large pool of water.
| Common Names | African sideneck turtle |
| Scientific Name | Pelomedusidae |
| Adult Size | Between 7 to 12 inches |
| Life Expentancy | ~50 years |
| Price Range | 50 to 100 dollars |
| Type of Turtle | Semi-aquatic |
RELATED READ: How to Set Up a Turtle Tank
Things to Know Before Getting a Pet Turtle
Turtles are not only undemanding, but they are also one of the most challenging pets to maintain.
Your responsibilities will vary considerably depending on the species of turtle you want to adopt, as well as its size.
Keep in mind that turtles have specific dietary requirements, and they have a reputation for living a long time – it’s not for the faint of heart to own one.
Important things to consider for pet turtles:
- Choose the right species for you
- Understand their dietary requirements
- Maintain an appropriate living area for them
- Choose a vet that can provide proper care for reptiles
Conclusion
Before you get a pet turtle, it’s important to know what kind of care they require.
If you’re capable of taking on the challenge of caring for a turtle, then they can certainly make great pets.
Choose your species carefully and make sure you’re prepared for the commitment.
As long as you maintain a proper environment and care for them properly, your turtle will be healthy and happy for many years.
Last updated on March 25th, 2022.
