Size: 3-5 feet long and weighs 200-500 lbs. These all look fairly similar when compared to the seventh species, the leatherback. Hawksbill turtles feed on sponges and have an amazing ability to digest the needle-like skeleton of these animals. The leatherback is a sea turtle and is the only species of turtle that does not have a hard shell. There are many different types and varieties of turtles, classified in twelve biological families. There are four species of box turtles, all of which sport the characteristic domed shell. At the touch of a button, you can find out how many species of sea turtles are there. There is some debate over green turtle classification. There are seven species of sea turtles, including the green, leatherback, loggerhead, hawksbill, Kemp's ridley, olive ridley and flatback sea turtles. How do I know how many species of sea turtles are there? Despite turtles’ broad distribution, there are not and never seem to have been a great many species of turtles at any time over the course of their long evolutionary history. Adult green turtles are the only herbivorous sea turtles. They feed on crabs, mollusks, and jellyfish. Hawksbill turtles live in tropical and subtropical waters in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Leatherbacks are deep divers with the ability to dive to over 3,000 feet. Their shell consists of a single piece with five ridges, which is distinctive from other turtles who have plated shells. There are thirteen families in the order and more than 356 species. They can be found … Threats to marine turtles include marine debris, fishing gear, habitat destruction, climate change, and poaching of eggs, hatchlings, and adults. The origin of turtles date back 220 million years ago making them older than both crocodiles … Green turtles live in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. They are found in tropical regions around the world. This diet gives their fat a green tinge, which is how the turtle got its name. There are 7 recognized species of sea turtles, most of which can be found in the United States. This is not an exhaustive list as there are several subspecies of turtles found in the United States. Flatback turtles (Natator depressus) are named for their flattened carapace, which is olive-gray in color. The Largest and the Smallest Turtle. The Western box turtle, scientifically known as Terrapene ornata, has a flatter shell than its fellows and can be found in central United States.Terrapene coahuila is an aquatic species of box turtle found in Mexico. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2021 worldatlas.com, The Seven Species Of Sea Turtles Living In The Oceans Of Our Planet. The Leatherback Turtle. At 30 inches long and weighing up to 100 pounds, the Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) is the smallest sea turtle. It’s not really necessary to know which species of box turtle you have. She serves as the executive director of the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation. Each different type and turtle species has its own unique requirements for shelter, food, water source, and even levels of heat and humidity. How Many Types Of Cobras Are There? The families of turtles include the leatherback sea turtles, soft-shelled turtles, snapping turtles, and tortoises among others. It grows to about 3.6 feet and weighs about 309 pounds. The Sea Turtle. These occur on the coasts of Central America and India. The turtle species that I listed above are known as native species, but there can be other turtle species that live in that area that are not native, those species are called alien species. Of all of the types of turtle, this turtle is the largest of them all. This species nests on tropical beaches, but can migrate as far north as Canada during the rest of the year. Some produce sounds similar to electric motors, belching humans, or barking dogs. They are found in large numbers in the waters of Indonesia, the Galápagos Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, East Africa, Gulf of California and the reefs of the Caribbean. By Victor Kiprop on December 17 2018 in World Facts. It grows to 2.5 feet and can weigh as much as 220 lbs. There are many different types of tortoises suited to life as domestic pets. Green Sea Turtle. Scientific Name: Chelonia mydas. Scutes may contain a beautiful pigmentation that looks like a sun's rays. Kemp's Ridley. There are 7 species of sea turtles throughout the entire world. The leatherback, loggerhead and olive ridley turtle are each liste… There is no exact estimate of the average size of a turtle considering that there are more than 360 different species. Kemp's ridleys are most often found in habitats with sandy or muddy bottoms, where it is easy to find prey. Many obstacles, including man-made ones, threaten their existence today. Five of the seven are found in Florida: Green, Loggerhead, Leatherback, Hawksbill, and Kemp’s Ridley. There is a good reason for the bizarre appearance of the mata mata turtle: hidden in the mud under water, the up to 53-centimeter-long animals look like algae-covered rocks. They eat mostly invertebrates such as crabs, shrimp, rock lobsters, jellyfish, and tunicates, although some primarily eat algae. Turtles are classified as members of kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Reptilia, and order Testudines. They are coastal turtles and found in temperate to subtropical waters in the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. They are the most common turtle that nests in Florida. There are approximately 300 extant species and 97 genera of testudines, split into two suborders: the Cryptodirans and the Pleurodirans. Olive Ridley. There is some debate on the number of sea turtle species, although seven have traditionally been recognized. But when a … In order to make filtering easy we have categorized them by different types of turtles including all of your favorites like Sliders, Box Turtles, Snapping Turtles and more! Here are some examples of different types of turtles and where they can be found: 1. The green sea turtle was listed in the United States under the Endangered Species Act as endangered in 1978. Nearly all species of marine turtles are endangered, as well as many of their freshwater brethren like the Yangtze turtle. On the whole, these shy creatures can become great lifelong friends, (depending on the age span of the breed, of course) and are docile and gentle companions. Green Turtle. These gigantic reptiles can reach lengths of over 6 feet and weights of over 2,000 pounds. The answer is none. There are seven species of sea turtle: Loggerhead, Green, Leatherback, Hawksbill, Olive Ridley, Kemp's Ridley and Flatback. Their carapace can include shades of black, gray, green, brown, or yellow. Green turtles are an endangered species around the world, but they still nest in increasing numbers on the east coast of Florida. Green turtle (Chelonia mydas). They can be found among reefs, rocky areas, mangrove swamps, lagoons, and estuaries. There are thirteen families in the order and more than 356 species. Green Sea Turtle. The turtle species that I listed above are known as native species, but there can be other turtle species that live in that area that are not native, those species are called alien species. Leatherbacks look very different from other sea turtles. The reason why turtles need to split into so many species is that, compared to other animals there are very few species of turtles that can adapt to a lot of different environments. Alien species are species that are not native to an area, but they still live there. Turtles are classified as members of kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Reptilia, and order Testudines. Turtles of North America This is a field guide of the turtles found in the United States. The distinction between these two suborders is based on the mode in which they cover their head and neck. Learn About the 7 Species of Sea Turtles It is nearly impossible to estimate the exact number of sea turtles because of the limited time they spend on land, but the six species found in the American coast are all endangered. Turtle Species Guide With Caresheets Below you will find a few of the many different types of Turtle Species. They typically do not mind the presence of other turtles in their vicinity. Kemp’s ridley turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) are one of the smallest sea turtles, … The black sea turtle may also be considered a subspecies of the green turtle. There exist more than 300 different species of turtles in the world, with the largest being the leatherback sea turtle – with an average shell length of 6.6 ft and weight of 2,000 lb, and the smallest being the speckled padloper tortoise – … Six of the species are classified in the Family Cheloniidae. The green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is large, with a carapace of up to 3 feet long. From leatherbacks to loggerheads, six of the seven species are threatened or endangered at the hand of humans. Scientific Name: Chelonia mydas. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, C. Allan Morgan/Photolibrary/Getty Images, Westend61 - Gerald Nowak/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images, Danita Delimont/Gallo Images/Getty Images, Gerard Soury/Oxford Scientific/Getty Image, Auscape/UIG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images, Animals of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, 5 Fascinating Facts About the Leatherback Sea Turtle, National Parks in Florida: Beaches, Mangrove Swamps, Sea Turtles, M.S., Resource Administration and Management, University of New Hampshire, B.S., Natural Resources, Cornell University. Alien species are species that are not native to an area, but they still live there. Five of the seven are found in Florida: Green, Loggerhead, Leatherback, Hawksbill, and Kemp’s Ridley. There are several different types of box turtles around the world, but only a few are commonly kept as pets. Sea Turtle Species. Turtles are very adaptive and can be found on every continent, except Antarctica. The families of turtles include the leatherback sea turtles, soft-shelled turtles, snapping turtles, and tortoises among others. Some scientists classify the green turtle into two species, the green turtle and the black sea turtle or Pacific green sea turtle. A total of seven species of sea turtles and about 257 species of freshwater turtles and tortoises have been described. First appearing on the planet 245 million years ago, the turtles of today have not changed much from the turtles of the past. Experts suggest only 1 in 1,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood. Those species … At the moment there are 318 known turtle species, over the course of time there were probably more than this but not all of them managed to survive. They are highly adaptive and can be found in all continents except Antarctica. Hawksbill turtles were named for the shape of their beak, which looks similar to the beak of a raptor. Status: Endangered. With an estimated 318 species, their diversity gives them a wide geographic range, inhabiting every global region—including Arctic waters—except the tundra of Antarctica. In Australia, all six species of marine turtles that occur in our waters are protected under the Australian Government's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBCAct) and various State and Northern Territory legislation. But when a … Incubation is characteristically long in most species, the average incubation period are between 100 and 160.0 days. Size: 3-5 feet long and weighs 200-500 lbs. There are hundreds of turtle types, though, ranging from sea turtles to snapping turtles and much, much more. Today, there are many calculators for converting one value to another and vice versa. Green turtles weigh up to 350 pounds. Most species of tortoises lay small clutch sizes, seldom exceeding 20 eggs, and many species have clutch sizes of only 1–2 eggs. This turtle is darker in color and has a smaller head than the green turtle. The green sea turtle is another … So how many turtles are there? There are no turtles in the picture because they are all tortoises. Turtles generally can be divided between tortoises (the land variety) and marine turtles, which spend most of their time in water, though there are overlaps. This family of turtle is rather large and can be found in most subtropical and tropical … The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate) grows to lengths of 3 1/2 feet long and can weigh up to 180 pounds. Only five species live in Europe, according to Drs. Seven different species of sea (or marine) turtles grace our ocean waters, from the shallow seagrass beds of the Indian Ocean, to the colorful reefs of the Coral Triangle, and even the sandy beaches of the Eastern Pacific. A Galápagos tortoise in the San Diego Zoo grew to 6 feet and weighed 573 pounds. Status: Endangered. Flatback. A sea turtle swimming. Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) are a reddish-brown turtle with a very large head. Six of the turtles are found in the major oceans, but the flatback turtle is confined to the Western Indo-Pacific. Like Kemp's ridley turtles, during nesting, olive ridley females come to shore in colonies of up to a thousand turtles, with mass nesting aggregations called arribadas. Turtles are reptiles with a hard cartilage shell that acts as a shield. The painted turtle is the most widespread turtle in North America. Hawksbill. See photos and learn about these charismatic animals. 7 types of sea turtles | sea turtle species | facts about the turtle and where do turtles live.Not all sea turtles out there are the same! There are many different types and varieties of turtles, classified in twelve biological families. Despite turtles’ broad distribution, there are not and never seem to have been a great many species of turtles at any time over the course of their long evolutionary history. Status: Endangered. Loggerhead turtles can be 3.5 feet long and weigh up to 400 pounds. Mud turtle, (genus Kinosternon), any of about 18 species of semiterrestrial freshwater turtles belonging to the family Kinosternidae.Mud turtles are found in North and South America from New England to northern Argentina. The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest sea turtle. Flatback turtles eat squid, sea cucumbers, soft corals, and mollusks. Zero. Pet Tortoise Species. Foster and Smith, a veterinarian business based in Wisconsin. All seven species of sea turtles are listed under the Endangered Species Act. Kemp's Ridley Turtle. This family includes the hawksbill, green, flatback, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, and olive ridley turtles. Instead it only has flesh and skin. Learn About the 7 Species of Sea Turtles. Seven species of sea turtles can be found in every ocean around the world. Like the Kemp’s ridley, they are small and weigh less than 100 pounds. This kind of turtle can be found all over the world. The red-footed tortoise of South America goes to the extent of clucking like a chicken. They are found only in the coastal waters of Australia. Which Species Are Most Venomous? There are approximately 300 extant species and 97 genera of testudines, split into two suborders: the Cryptodirans and the Pleurodirans. Turtles are neither social nor territorial. Six of the seven species are considered endangered or vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. They are famous for nesting in huge groups called arribadas. A sea turtle swimming. Sea turtles are charismatic animals that have been around for millions of years. Kemp's ridley turtles prefer to eat benthic organisms such as crabs. Out of the seven species of sea turtles around the world, six are classified as threatened or endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.. This is necessary when they need to hibernate during winter when the temperatures drop below freezing and most ponds are covered in a lid of ice. Wild-Caught Box Turtles. Olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) are named for—you guessed it—their olive-colored shell. Out of the seven species of sea turtles in the world, 4 species come to nest on beaches in Malaysia. They feed on jellyfish, salps, crustaceans, squid, and urchins. They spend the day foraging for food and retreat to the nest after sunset to escape the nocturnal predators. The largest softshell turtle is the Yangtze giant softshell turtle. What is the Difference Between the Vatican City and the Holy See. There are 7 species of sea turtles throughout the entire world. There are seven known species of sea turtles: loggerhead, green turtle, leatherback, hawksbill, Kemp's ridley, flatback, and olive ridley. The leatherback looks very different from the other species and is the only sea turtle species in its own family, Dermochelyidae. This species is named after Richard Kemp, the fisherman who first described them in 1906. WWFs work on sea turtles focuses on five of those species: green, hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback and olive ridley. Their skin is dark and is covered with white or pink spots. They are either sea-dwelling or freshwater Testudines. The leatherback is the largest sea; it can measure 4.5 to 5.25 feet and weigh anything between 600 to 1,500 lbs. Leatherback. With so many options, choosing a pet turtle can be overwhelming. The smallest species of turtle is the speckled Cape tortoise that grows to 3.1 inches and weighs 5 ounces. There are seven different species of sea turtles, six of which -- green, hawksbill, Kemp's ridley, leatherback, loggerhead, and the olive ridley can be found throughout the ocean - in both warm and cool waters. The seventh species, the flatback, lives only in Australia. Shells are used as protection from weather and predators. There exist more than 300 different species of turtles in the world, with the largest being the leatherback sea turtle – with an average shell length of 6.6 ft and weight of 2,000 lb, and the smallest being the speckled padloper tortoise – with an average length of 3.1 … Jennifer Kennedy, M.S., is an environmental educator specializing in marine life. All turtles have shells that they cannot remove. When young, they are carnivorous, but as adults, they eat seaweeds and seagrass. Greek Tortoise (Testudo graeca) dynamosquito from France [CC BY-SA 2.0] Turtles generally can be divided between tortoises (the land variety) and marine turtles, which spend most of their time in water, though there are overlaps. This is the only sea turtle species not found in the United States. 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