Different Types of Turtles

Turtles make good pets. Though dogs and cats are a much more preferred pet, turtles make very good economic exotic pets. One of the main reasons that turtles make good pets is that they are mainly indoor animals and add to the beauty of a home. Here is a list of the various types of turtles.

Chicken Turtle The chicken turtle, scientific name Deirochelys reticularia is a freshwater turtle. It is uncommon and is normally found only in the south east of the United States. These turtles have an unusually long neck which is striped. They also have a yellowish stripe on their forelegs and rear legs.

The carapace of the Chicken Turtle, commonly known as the shell of the turtle, is pear shaped. The carapace is either olive or a dark shade of brown. The average lifespan of a Chicken Turtle is twenty to twenty four years.

Chicken Turtles are omnivorous, meaning they can eat animal as well as plant matter. Therefore, they eat different kinds of fish, insects, frogs, tadpoles, crayfish, other invertebrates as well as fruits and aquatic plant matter.

The subspecies of Chicken Turtles are the 'Eastern Chicken Turtle', scientific name Deirochelys reticularia reticularia, the Western Chicken Turtle, scientific name Deirochelys reticularia miaria and the Florida Chicken Turtle, scientific name Deirochelys reticularia chrysea.Males have a longer and thicker tail than females, though the female Chicken Turtle is larger than the males.

Chicken Turtles are commonly found on land and migrate between aquatic habitats and the soil. They normally try to escape dry conditions. They hibernate either in the soft mud or the vegetations in water.

Painted Turtle: This turtle is one of the different types of turtle which is a reptile. It is commonly found in North America. It is a water turtle and is related to other water turtles like the cooters and sliders. The Painted Turtle uses its shell to protect it from other predators. The Painted Turtle also has an exquisite design at its bottom, this is where it gets it name from.

The Painted Turtle is an aquatic reptile and therefore is found in lakes, marshes, ponds and sometimes in slow moving rivers. These slow moving rivers have muddy and soft bottoms which make them a perfect habitat for the Painted Turtle. The Painted Turtle may live for up to thirty years. It is a carnivorous.

Graptemys: The Graptemys, commonly known as the Map Turtle or Saw Back Turtle are aquatic and commonly found in freshwater. They are found throughout Eastern United States and Southern Canada. They are named 'map turtles' because of the yellow or cream colored markings on their head, neck and legs, which are very similar to a road map.

Trachemys: The Red Eared Slider belongs to the family Emydidae of turtles. It is commonly found in the southern United States. The Red Eared Slider is a terrapin, meaning it is a semi-aquatic turtle. These turtles are commonly kept as pets. They are omnivores. Young Red

Eared Sliders do not eat when the temperature is below fifty degrees Fahrenheit. They can be fed once a day when the temperature is between fifty and sixty eight degrees Fahrenheit. They can be fed almost three times a day when the temperature is between sixty eight to eighty six degrees Fahrenheit.

Trachemys gaigeae The Big Bend Slider, scientific name Trachemys gaigeae, is a native of the states of Texas and New Mexico in the United States. It is a aquatic turtle. It is found mainly in the Rio Conchos and the Rio Grandes river systems. They often bask under rocks and logs in the water. They are omnivorous.