Freshwater Turtle Facts

Turtles that need long stretches of time swimming in freshwater can be found on all continents except Antarctica. Two-thirds of turtle species, including freshwater turtles, are endangered or threatened because of water pollution, being caught in fishing equipment and habitat loss, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Sometimes turtles are called terrapins.

  1. Identification

    • Species of freshwater turtles vary significantly in looks. Some have the familiar hard shell and webbed feet, like the red-eared slider. Some species like the Florida softshelled turtle, have a bizarre elongated neck and nose, a very flat shell over an equally flat mud-colored body. The alligator snapping turtle has a series of pyramid-shapes along its shell and an alligator-like head.

    Size

    • The world's largest freshwater turtle is the alligator snapping turtle, according to the National Zoo. They can grow to be an average of 155 to 175 lbs. Legend has it that one male in Kansas grew to 400 lbs., but the National Zoo is unable to verify this legend. The smallest freshwater water turtle is the common musk or stinkpot turtle of the American south. It grows to an adult size of 2 to 4 1/2 inches long. It gets its name from the horrible stench it produces to deter predators.

    Pets

    • Several species of freshwater turtles are popular pets, kept in ponds or aquariums that are at least 55 gallons large. These species include the red-eared slider (also called red-eared terrapin), the painted turtle, the Australian long-necked turtle and the Australian short-necked turtle. In America, it is illegal for anyone to sell baby turtles or turtles fewer than 4 inches in shell diameter because of the high risk for salmonella, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA.)

    Diet

    • Freshwater turtles eat a wide variety of insects, fish, tadpoles, frogs, fruits, vegetables, herbs and plants. Some species such as the red-eared slider will eat meat as a growing juvenile but settle into a more vegetarian diet once they become an adult. Some species such as the alligator snapping turtle eat meat all of their lives.

    Dangers

    • Freshwater turtles take years to reach breeding age and lay only a few eggs. This makes turtles more vulnerable to extinction because they reproduce so slowly. People also harvest turtles for food. Since turtles breathe air, they often drown if caught in fishing nets, discarded fishing line or other man-made pollutants. Since freshwater turtles spend most of their lives in water or in mud, if the water is polluted, they will soon get sick and die.