Types of Tortoise (Water, Baskin, Land, Sea & More) | Best Guide

Tortoises are quiet, very calm and slow-moving creatures. They are very hardy when you can provide them with the right kind of environment. Their requirements are very modest and have a long life. There are about 200 different types of Tortoise or you can say species.

Tortoises that spend a lot of time underwater have webbed feet for swimming. They are also called as aquatic tortoises or marsh and swamp type Tortoise. Some Tortoises are semi-aquatic as they spend time both on land and in water. Land Tortoises are also known as terrapins and spend most of their time on land.

Water Tortoise:

In the water tortoises, there are basking types and non-basking ones.

Basking tortoises:

They climb on the log or rock and sun themselves.

• Spotted and Painted tortoises
• Cooters Tortoise
• Sliders Tortoise
• Maps Tortoise

Non-basking types of tortoise

These Tortoises bask at the surface of the water and not on land

• Mud and Musk Tortoise
• Snapping Tortoise
• Soft Shell Tortoise
• Side Necked Tortoise

The water Tortoise includes the aquatic Tortoise and the semi-aquatic Tortoise.

Aquatic types of Tortoise :

• Aquatic Tortoise is kept indoors and is commonly housed in the aquariums.
• Outdoor housings are seasonal and used only during warm days and may consist of some pond.
• These Tortoises produce a lot of waste and hence water needs to be filtered very frequently.
• Basking types may require some rocks or partially submerged logs to climb on during basking.
• The non-basking Tortoise will float on aquatic vegetation or top of the water.

Semi-aquatic types of Tortoise:

• Semi-aquatic Tortoise can be housed in the aquariums but will need more land than the water.
• This can be done by providing a water dish in the corner of an aquarium or a terrarium that is firmly anchored to the bottom.
• The tortoise can soak and go back whenever they feel.
• You may build any type of enclosures with a water area as these Tortoises require a lot of lands.
• These Tortoises can be kept outdoors seasonally.

Land Tortoise:

• These Tortoises live mostly on land which has some access to water
• They require fewer pieces of equipment and it is easier to maintain and clean their terrain
• These Tortoises seldom carry diseases that can affect humans
• Land Tortoise is housed in terrariums instead of aquariums as they do not need water much for their day to day activity
• Access to clean water in a spill-proof dish is enough
• These can also be kept in an outdoor housing as it is more beneficial for their growth
• Land Tortoise need similar type dry conditions like the desert type of Tortoise

Sea Tortoise:

• These Tortoises live in the sea and are not considered as pets as keeping them is illegal
• There are nearly 8 species of sea Tortoise

The most common types of Tortoise can also be large Tortoise and small Tortoise

1. Large Tortoise /Giant Tortoise:

These are the world’s longest-living animals with an average life of 100 years. These Tortoises have gigantic bodies with an average of 4 feet and can weigh as much as 300kg

• Saddle Backed Mauritius Giant Tortoise
• Hood Island Tortoise

2. Small tortoise:

These tortoises have tiny bodies like 2 or more inches and weight is few grams

• Bog tortoise (2 inches)
• Box tortoise (6-8 inches)

There are about 200 different species of tortoises. This article on types of tortoises will give you a general idea about the different types of tortoises.