In the previous article, we have differentiated between tortoise and turtle and now moving forward I am going to describe the various types of tortoises which we have explored over time. We have learned that turtles live in aquatic mode whereas tortoises are adapted to terrestrial environments.

10 of the best tortoises

Having a pet is the best hobby in my opinion and it’s even better when you don’t have to make that much effort for that specific pet. Tortoises or turtles are animals of a really quiet nature and the best part is they don’t shed fur as well and you also don’t have to make much effort about their food as well. Here I am mentioning the 10 best tortoises which you can opt for as a pet depending on your specific region and according to your nature. Following are the types of tortoises:

African turtle (Side neck):

These turtles are very much suited for the household because they are most active during the daytime. They live in freshwaters and are abundantly found thus they are easily available in regions of America and Africa. The best thing is that these turtles rarely get any health issues and can easily have a life of more than 25 years and their length can vary between 10-18 inches.

Wood turtle:

The wood turtles are further divided into four subcategories but the one which is frequently found in the ornamental one. These turtles are acquired from the most tropical lands and their prominent feature is their “red stripes”. They are very intelligent ones among turtles and make a very beautiful and reasonable pet.

Turtle with painting:

These turtles can be easily found in states of America. Almost similar to all turtles they are active mostly during the daytime and hibernate in winters. In their breed females are larger in size as compared to the males. They generally have a longer life span of 55 years.

Caspian turtle:

This turtle is mainly identified by the cream yellow or tan patterns on their headshells and arms. The reason to pet them is their sharp memory; they get easily attached and remember their owners and can also startle easily.

Slider turtle with red years:

As the name suggests these turtles have a very prominent red blotch on their ears. They are extremely water-loving and you will always find them near the ponds, small lakes and in areas with slow water streams. As pets, they take time to trust you but they have a really long life span of 50-60 years.

Reeve’s turtle:

This species is restricted to the Asian continent in the countries of China, Japan, and Korea. These also prefer to leave in still or slow-moving waters having shallow bottoms. They are herbivores. As a pet, they are so reasonable because they don’t grow so big almost up to the size of one inch and live for 10 -15 years.

Eastern box turtle:

As you can guess from the name they live in eastern states of America and they are extremely slow among other turtles. Not only are they slow but also they are among those turtles that can live up to a century but when they are kept captive their life span can become shorter. Although they are a tough choice to keep them as pets, they are popular among the people. They are hard to maintain because they require a specific warm environment with certain humidity and also they need to hibernate in a proper substrate which is not available in all regions.

Map turtle:

This turtle is found in the place which is hard for some to pronounce yes you guess it right! It is found in Mississippi. They are called map turtles because they have blotches on their shells. These are among those turtles that tend to live in fast-moving waters rather than still waters. As far as the pet factor is concerned as long as you can maintain the water quality they are good to go.

Russian tortoise:

Unlike their name, this species has invaded many continents which include countries like Russia, Iran, Pakistan and also in some areas of Afghanistan. They are somehow much faster than other tortoises and they eat much. They are quite active, the females start to lay eggs from a very young age. The best thing to keep them as a pet is that they don’t require much care and attention as they are quite adaptive and patient towards changing environments.

Greek tortoise:

They are also among those turtles that can live up to a century and can live in a very fine health condition and to your amaze they live well in a captive situation rather than living alone in the wild. They can mature up to 8 -10 inches. They are very responsive to their owners.

Types of tortoises, Which tortoise should you get?

If you want to have a tortoise as a pet then prepare yourself, that is not an easy task. You will have to do proper research prior to keeping the pet as a tortoise. Because there are some species that require specific environmental conditions like proper humidity, substrate, and certain aquatic or terrestrial environments as well. Apart from the above-mentioned turtles, there are also others which are good to keep as pets like green turtle, mud turtle or snippet as well.

Snippets may be difficult to handle and care. There are also sea turtles but most of the species are in endangered list, therefore, it is better to get them handled by professionals.

15 awesome tortoise species

The following are among the best species:

Russian tortoise
Indian star tortoise
Spur- thighed Mediterranean tortoise
Kleinmann’s tortoise
Hermann’s tortoise
Pancake tortoise
Mid-sized tortoises
Russian tortoise
Red foot tortoise
Leopard tortoise
Greek tortoise
Eastern box turtle
Caspian turtle

Tortoise breed list and care guide

There are so many varieties of tortoise in the class Testudine there are almost 40 species of tortoise and bringing one home also brings a greater level of knowledge. Understanding them plays a greater part because there are so many species and every species requires different conditions to survive. Some species hibernate, some do not like to eat one thing and one will get digestion problems if they eat the same.so understanding the life cycle, the characteristics and behavior patterns is essential to fulfilling their life to the maximum.

The best indoor tortoises

The best indoor tortoises are those which can easily be placed in your room and you don’t have to care for them much. These include Mediterranean tortoise, Russian tortoise, Greek tortoise, and Hermann’s and Egyptian tortoises.

Question and answers

Types of tortoises as pets?

The most common include Mediterranean tortoise, Russian tortoise, Greek tortoise, and Hermann’s and Egyptian tortoises. You can actually choose from any one of the tortoise lists that I have mentioned above. The selection mainly depends upon your taste and liking.

Types of tortoises that stay small?

There are several tortoises that stay small throughout their lives. These include captive-bred tortoise, baby Egyptian tortoise and others like Herman tortoise. Speckled cape tortoise is the small tortoise among the whole species of the tortoise.

Types of African tortoises?

Africa and particularly South Africa and if I will be more detailed then, theCape has the richest diversity of tortoises. There are 40 species of tortoises known and out of these 12 are present in Africa. These include Angulate, tent, speckled cape and Greater Karro tortoises.

What types of tortoises are there?

There are almost 40 species of a tortoise and they can live in different environments from humid to warm and even the dry environment of a desert. Out of these 40 species, twelve species are present in South Africa.

Types of turtles in Australia?

Australia provides a home to six of the main marine turtles. Australia contains the six prominent species of turtles which are green hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, olive ridley and the turtle with a black.