The leatherback sea turtle is the largest and heaviest living turtle. It can grow to 5ft 11in and weighs up to 500kg. It is the only living species of the dermocheltdae family, characterized by a different shell structure from other turtle shells. Other turtle shells have a bony structure, but the leatherback turtle’s shell is oily and flexible, like leather, hence the name. 

You will find leatherback turtles in the Atlantic, eastern Pacific, and western Pacific oceans. In addition, they inhabit all tropical and subtropical oceans. Adult leatherback turtles feed on jellyfish, fish, sea urchins, snails, cnidaria, and tunicates.

Also, the leatherback has a relatively long lifespan and can live up to 50 years or more. Sadly, leatherback turtles are endangered due to overharvesting and human encroachment on their natural habitats3.

Green sea turtles have many other names like a black sea turtle, pacific green turtle, and simply green turtle. They have the name green turtle because of the green fat underneath their carapace1 (shells). They inhabit the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. 

Adult green turtles grow up to 5ft long and weigh an average of 190kg. However, some green turtles can weigh up to 395kg. Green sea turtles’ physical attributes include their short snout and unhooked beak. Also, their carapaces have different colors that change from time to time.

Hawksbill sea turtles have shells that change color based on the water temperature. We can identify this turtle specie by its curved and pointed beak. A mature hawksbill turtle can grow up to 3ft long with a weight of 80kg.

Hawksbill turtles prefer to live in the tropical reefs of the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans reefs. Fishers hunt them for their shells, eggs, and meat. Sadly, they are at risk of extinction because of human fishing activities.

Alligator snapping turtles are the largest freshwater turtle species in the world. They have large and heavy heads, while their thick shells resemble the scales of an ancient plated dinosaur called Ankylosaurus. You can differentiate them from the common snapping turtle by the three ridges of spikes on their carapaces. Their habitat is in the fresh waters of the United States. 

Their colors are brown, grey, black, and olive green. Unlike other turtles, the male alligator turtle is bigger than its female counterpart. Adult turtles can weigh as much as 80kg and grow up to 31.8 inches long. Also, they have a long life span, ranging from 20 to 70 years. They are scavengers and active hunters, so their diet consists of dead and live fish.

A spiny softshell is a sizeable aquatic turtle, one of the largest out of most freshwater turtles. They get their name from the structure of their shells which have cone-like projections at the edge of their carapaces.

Also, you can recognize a spiny softshell by its soft, fleshy, and elongated nose. Furthermore, they have webbed feet with three claws on each. 

Their diet consists of crayfish, aquatic insects, fish, and aquatic plants. A unique feature of spiny softshells is their ability to breathe oxygen and carbon dioxide while breathing air or underwater2. This breathing ability makes them bimodal breathers.

This species of softshell has anapsid skulls. Anapsid skulls are skulls that have no openings. They also have a pipe-like snout with round nostrils. Their shells are smooth, soft, and flexible. Female smooth softshells are larger than their male counterparts. A female’s shell length can grow up to 14 inches, while males grow up to 7 inches.

They mainly eat crayfish, fish, amphibians, and aquatic insects. However, they sometimes eat aquatic plants and vegetation. They are endemic to North America, with a preference for underwater areas with sand or mud bottoms. They avoid rocky areas and places with heavy vegetation.

Three-toed box turtles are endemic to the south-central regions of the United States. They prefer to live in humid areas like swampy and hardwood forests7. However, they are popular in the pet trade. When cared for adequately, they can live up to 50 years as pets. Furthermore, the three-toed box turtle is the official reptile of the state of Missouri. 

The three-toed box turtle got its name from the number of toes on its back feet. It primarily has three toes on its back feet, but, confusingly, it could also have four. Its shell is dome-shaped and can grow up to 7 inches long.

It feeds on earthworms, strawberries, slugs, mushrooms, plants, and insects. Certain regions have banned keeping three-toed box turtles as pet turtles to avoid poachers capturing them in the wild to sell as pets.

The eastern box turtle is endemic to the Eastern part of the United States. Eastern box turtles are slow and terrestrial. The turtle’s shells are high and dome-shaped, with colors ranging from brown to black. There are yellow and orange lines or spots on their carapace. Furthermore, a male eastern box turtle has red irises, while females have brown irises. 

These turtles can grow up to 8 inches long with horned beaks. They are omnivores, feeding on a variety of animals and plants. Their diet contains earthworms, slugs, snails, mushrooms, beetles, flowers, and grubs. They avoid stressful environmental conditions as they prefer moderately wet forest areas with good drainage.

A close relative of these guys, the ornate box turtle, is the other terrestrial turtle native to the US.

The golden coin turtle, also known as the Chinese three-striped box turtle, has three black stripes on their brown shells. There are also yellow markings on their carapace with a black plastron. This species is endemic to southern China. The turtles feed on fish, carrion, frogs, and insects and can grow up to 10 inches long. 

They prefer to spend most of their time on land and are most active during the evening and afternoon transition periods. They are excellent rock climbers and fast burrowers.

The Chinese box turtle is also known as the golden-headed turtle. It has a high dome-shaped shell, higher than other turtles with dome-shaped shells. It has a dark brown carapace with creamy yellow markings. Also, each gender has an extension of a yellow line from behind the eyes. The male turtle has a broader tail than its female counterpart. 

This turtle is endemic to Central China5. You will find it in the wild in Hunan, Chongqing, Henan, Anhui, eastern Sichuan, and along the Yangtze drainage. It's also present in Taiwan and Japan.

Hawksbill sea turtles have shells that change color based on the water temperature. We can identify this turtle specie by its curved and pointed beak. A mature hawksbill turtle can grow up to 3ft long with a weight of 80kg.

Hawksbill turtles prefer to live in the tropical reefs of the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans reefs. Fishers hunt them for their shells, eggs, and meat. Sadly, they are at risk of extinction because of human fishing activities.