Turtles can make great pets and a welcome addition to any home if they are treated correctly. To properly care for these creatures, it is highly beneficial to have an understanding of the different types of tortoises. Turtles are viewed as some kind of exotic pet 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 it more manageable. In a broad sense, turtles can be classified into three categories: tortoises, tortoises, and sea turtles. These three types of tortoises have very different lifestyles and requirements.

turtles

When talking about these animals, people think of all kinds of different examples. Some people think of a tiny box turtle they caught as a child, while others 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 the water and part of its life on land. Most turtle species spend most of their time in the water, coming to land primarily to bask in the sun, which releases much-needed vitamin D3.

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

turtles

Tortoises are terrestrial, which means that they spend most of their time on land. This is good as these turtles are very clumsy swimmers. That’s not to say they don’t dip into shallow water from time to time, but if they do tip over and get caught underwater, they could drain.

A good example of a turtle would be the box turtle. People who keep box turtles as pets generally keep them in an outdoor turtle pen, where the weather and temperature allow. Only shallow water is provided for wading and drinking. Your wildlife environment has to be precisely recreated 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 of the world’s oceans, plus 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 remain in the water may be referred to as “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’s much easier to divide the subspecies from there. Among all the species, some have tendencies and behaviors that are more inclined 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.