Living restrictions on pets such as dogs and cats have made turtles and other "confined" pets an attractive option. People in general are not typically as well educated on turtles as they might be more common pets, like dogs. Feeding, housing and health monitoring are all parts of being a turtle owner, but most people don't realize how many turtle types there are when choosing a pet turtle.
The most common mental picture that pops up when discussing a pet turtle is a brownish green turtle in a fish tank that has a dry basking area and water where the turtle can swim. This is actually a popular set up for some types of turtles, but others would actually be at risk of drowning in the above described tank. Turtles die prematurely far too often from a lack of knowledge of turtles health, diet and living requirements.
There are hundreds of different turtles types, but not all are kept as pets. This could sound a bit overwhelming, but it doesn't have to. There is a way to break up the species to identify a turtle type quickly and easily. Breaking down the types of turtles into categories should help explain the different types of turtles quickly.
There are four types of turtle: Turtles, terrapins, tortoises and sea turtles. These are all turtles, but with their own unique lifestyles and manuerisms.
Turtle
First off theres the turtle. Two prime examples of turtles are the red eared slider and the painted turtle. These are considered turtles because they're amphibious, meaning they live partially on land and in water. These turtles get out of the water to bask in the light ocassionally, but they seem more at home in the water.
Tortoise
This is far different from the terrestrial (land dwelling) tortoise. A box turtle is a good example of a tortoise. If you thought turtles and tortoises were one in the same, I'm glad your reading this!
If you put a box turtle (tortoise) in a painted turtles (amphibious) habitat with a swimming area, your tortoise could drown! Box turtles are notoriously clumsy in water and if they get flipped upside down it could mean a death that could have easily been avoided with the proper set up and a warning to be careful of how water is set up near tortoises.
Terrapin
A terrapin is actually what a pet turtle or tortoise is refered to in the UK. If you ever visit england and start bragging about your pet turtle be prepared for some funny looks.
When people in the UK discuss turtles they're refering to sea turtles, which can grow to a whopping 2 meters and are certainly not considered pets. Therefore, pet turtles are dubbed terrapins. Terrapins aren't types of turtles, just a different name for a turtle.
Sea Turtles
Sea turtles inhabit every ocean in the world except for the arctic ocean. The arctic is far too cold to support a sea turtle. As beautiful and magestic as they are, most sea turtles are not considered pets. They would require much more expensive and elaborate care than most people would want to deal with.
However there are fully aquatic turtles that you can keep in your fish tank. To avoid confusion these are simply labeled "aquatic" turtles in pet stores. Just make sure the fish in your tank and your aquatic turtle will be compatible with each other and you have a great addition to your fish tank.
All turtles diets and living requirements are not the same, but with a little know how, pinpointing the diet and housing for your turtle doesn't have to be a chore. You could talk to the people at pet stores for ideas or check the internet.
There's a lot to be learned. If you don't find what your looking for, there are several different books and turtle guides to teach you the ins and outs of caring for pet turtles.
