Types of Small Water Turtles

Aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles live in bodies of water and surrounding areas, such as marshes, swamps, and rivers. Since they spend plenty of time within water, their feet feature webbing to help them swim better. Some of the smaller aquatic turtles are kept as pets and live out their days in aquariums. Aquatic turtles usually live for many years and have specific requirements for care, so it is important to learn more about each species before deciding upon a pet.

  1. Painted Turtle

    • Chrysemys picta, the painted turtle, lives throughout North America, growing up to 10 inches in length. This turtle prefers bodies of water that have soft mud on the bottom, such as ponds, lakes, and marshes. The painted turtle lives from five to 10 years in the wild, but can live for more than 20 years in captivity. The shell of the painted turtle is usually darker colored, such as brown, olive, or black, with red marks around the edges. The underside of the shell is red, black, or yellow. Painted turtles eat tadpoles, fish eggs, small fish, algae, and duckweed, as well as various other small animals and plants within their habitats. They hibernate during cold winters by burying within the mud for months.

    Red-Eared Slider Turtle

    • Slider turtles come in a number of subspecies. One of the most common types kept as a pet is the red-eared slider, Chrysemys scripta elegans. Red-eared sliders live within the eastern United States, from Illinois to the Gulf of Mexico. They commonly lounge on rocks or logs out of the water in order to get warm. During winters, red-eared sliders hibernate by burrowing into the ground. These turtles grow to be up to 12 inches in length once fully matured. Red-eared sliders are a dark green color with yellow stripes. The common name for these turtles comes from the red markings just behind their eyes. These turtles can live up to 70 years. They eat meat and vegetation, including bloodworms, apples, carrots, snails and small fish.

    Bog Turtle

    • The bog turtle, Clemmys muhlenbergii, is a small aquatic turtle on the federal endangered species list. They live in scattered areas in the eastern United States, from New York to Pennsylvania and western North Carolina. These turtles grow to around 4.5 inches. They are dark-colored turtles with a yellow or orange spot on either side of their heads. These turtles hibernate during winter by entering their nests. They receive warmth by laying out on rocks around the water. Their lifespan is over 30 years.

    Diamondback Turtle

    • Malaclemys terrapin, or the diamondback turtle, lives within brackish water, meaning that the water is salty, but less salty than sea water. Their shells are dark-colored, either dark green or black, with gray or black striped or spotted skin. They bury in the mud in order to hibernate through winters. Diamondback turtles eat hard-shell marine life, fish, worms and plant matter. The male turtles grow to six inches, while females grow to nine inches. Diamondback turtles live along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts within the United States.