Check Out These Super Cool Turtles From Around The World

Posted by Missy aka Tizzy in Nature and Travel On 29th March 2018

Why are there not more people talking about turtles? They are beautiful creatures that are seriously underrated. Sure, they are slow, so they are not that exciting, but they are also incredibly beautiful and unique. Here are some of our favorite turtles from around the world.


Eastern Box Turtle

The Eastern box turtle is part of the pond turtle family and not classified as a tortoise. They are commonly found in the eastern areas of the United States. They are super slow movers who often end up getting hit by cars because of it. They get their name because of the location that they are found in and the high dome-like shell that they have. They come in different colors but are mostly brown or black with yellow or orange patterns on their shell. The bright colored ones like the one in our photo, here, are the most striking-looking ones of this species.


Florida Softshell Turtle

This is one of the largest softshell turtles found in North America. They can grow to almost 30 inches long and weigh more than 40 pounds. As you probably guessed, this turtle is mostly found in Florida. However, they can also be found in other states like Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama. They have a leathery shell that ranges from dark brown to an olive green color. It helps camouflage them in case of an attack from predators. They have a long neck with a pointy nose.


Smooth Softshell Turtle

This species of softshell turtle is really cool. It is one where the body and shell look almost as one instead of being separate entities. The shell area is flexible and leather-like and covered with skin instead of being hard like other turtles. They are native to North America and inhabit the Mississippi River drainage.

Leatherback Sea Turtle

The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all living turtles, according to Wikipedia. It is also the fourth heaviest modern reptile falling behind three crocodilians. To give you an idea of how massive these turtles are, their front flippers can grow up to almost 9 feet. That is bananas! It does not have a bony shell like most other sea turtles, that is how it got its name. They are covered in an oily flesh-like skin instead.


Painted Turtle

If you live in the United States, you have come across several of these in your lifetime. You might have even kept one as a pet. They are the most widespread turtle species that is native to the States. They only grow to be four to ten inches long, so our parents had no issues with us keeping them as pets. They are very distinct in the way they look, from the yellowish-green stripes on the soft parts of their bodies to the orangeish-red design on the top and undersides of their shells. They eat vegetation which made them very easy to care for. How many of you had one as a pet?

Olive Ridley Sea Turtle

These are also known as the Pacific ridley sea turtle. They are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles, according to Wikipedia. They can be found in the warm, tropical waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Males and females of this species can grow to be about two feet long. The best way to tell them apart is that females have a more rounded shell than their male counterparts.


Green Sea Turtle

This turtle likes being in both tropical and subtropical areas around the world. It has a flat body and a teardrop shaped shell as well as huge flippers. Fully matured green sea turtles can grow to be anywhere between 150 and 420 pounds and 40 inches long. There have been some exceptional cases that weigh close to 700 pounds and around 60 inches in length. Could you imagine running into one of these gorgeous monsters in real life? It would be amazing to say the least.


Modern Sea Turtle

The technical term for this species is Cheloniidae. They are relatives of tortoises but do not have the ability to tuck their heads into their shells. The smallest turtle in this Cheloniidae family has a 75cm shell and weighs 50kg. Just like most sea turtles, they prefer warm waters in the tropical and subtropical areas of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Some can even be found in the Mediterranean Sea.