There are 14 turtle families split into 75 genera and about 351 species. (although some sources say 13 families)
To take it a step back, turtles are classified under kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Reptilia, and the order Testudines.
In this article we aim to tell you exactly what you need to know about each of the turtle families.
Here is a summary:
Turtle Families Chart
Turtle Families Table
| Family | Common Names |
|---|---|
| Carettochelyidae | Pitted-shelled Turtles also known as the pig-nosed turtles or the Fly River turtles. |
| Chelidae | Austro-American Side-necked Turtles/Common snake-necked Turtles |
| Cheloniidae | Sea turtles |
| Chelydridae | Snapping turtles |
| Dermatemydidae | The River Turtles |
| Dermochelyidae | Leatherback turtles |
| Emydidae | Pond turtles, terrapins, and sliders. |
| Geoemydidae | Asian leaf turtles, Asian box turtles, and roofed turtles |
| Kinosternidae | Mud and musk turtles |
| Pelomedusidae | Afro-American side-necked turtles, African helmeted turtle |
| Platysternidae | The big-headed turtles |
| Podocnemididae | The big-headed Amazon River turtle, Madagascar big-headed turtles, and the South American side-neck river turtles. |
| Testudinidae | Tortoises |
| Trionychidae | Softshell turtles |
Now let’s explore the details and characteristics of each of the turtle families below.
Pitted-shelled Turtles
Pitted-shelled turtles are also known as the pig-nosed turtles or the Fly River turtles.
They have large bodies and a nose that looks similar to that of a pig, giving them their common name.
These turtles are mainly found in the southern lowlands of New Guinea, and the Northern Territory of Australia. They live in warm freshwater rivers, lakes, pools, streams, lagoons, estuaries, and swamps. [1]
Similar to the softshell turtles, the pig-nosed turtles lack bony scutes overlaying their shell, which has a leathery texture.
They are also characterized by broad limbs with two claws each, and enlarged pectoral flippers that look like those of sea turtles. These flippers make it difficult to get to land thus leading pig-nosed turtles to be mostly aquatic and only leave water to nest.
Pig-nosed turtles are omnivorous as they enjoy a diet of fruits, leaves, insects, and mollusks.
In New Guinea, they are hunted for meat and eggs. They are highly endangered as their population has been decreased significantly due to being hunted excessively for food.
American Side-necked Turtles/Snake-necked Turtles
The snake-necked turtles have necks that are so long that instead of retracting back into the shell, they fold sideways under their shells.
Their name stems from their long snake-like necks.
Mostly found in ponds, rivers, streams, and freshwater lakes, these turtles are semi-aquatic, spending time on both water and land
They normally estivate during the dry seasons, burying themselves in the mud.
Most American side-necked turtles are carnivores preying mostly on fish, worms, insects, and frogs.These creatures use the tactic of gape and suck by striking their prey while simultaneously pulling the prey to their open jaws.
Sea Turtles
There are 7 species of sea turtles that inhabit the oceans. They include;
- The Green Sea turtles
- Loggerhead sea turtles
- Kemp’s Ridley Sea turtles
- Leatherback sea turtles
- Flatback sea turtles
- Hawksbill sea turtles
- The Olive Ridley Sea turtles
Sea turtles have adapted features for ocean life such as large flippers, and streamlined bodies. This aids them in swimming for long distances looking for food.
Apart from the leatherback sea turtles, all the other species have hard-shelled bodies with scutes. The leatherback sea turtles have shells that are covered with thick, leathery skin hence their name.
Sea turtles spend most of their lives in the ocean apart from when the females come on land to lay eggs. They have varied diets depending on the species.
The leatherback preys mostly on jellyfish, while the green turtle is predominantly herbivorous feeding on algae and marine grasses. The loggerhead is carnivorous, known to enjoy a diet of mollusks, and crustaceans.
Snapping Turtles
Snapping turtles are large turtles ranging in size from 20-36 cm, and have an average weight of 4.5-16kg.
The snapping turtles are very aggressive. Their name comes from the method of biting they use on their prey. The alligator snapping turtle has been known to lure its prey with its tongue.
They are mostly inhabit Central America, North America, Ecuador, and Southern Canada inhabiting freshwater bodies and are seldom seen outside water.
Snapping turtles are mostly carnivorous except for the common snapping turtle. They enjoy feeding on fish, birds, and insects. They are not picky eaters as they can eat almost anything including other turtles!
The River Turtles
The Central American River Turtle is the only living species in the family Dermatemydidae.
As their name suggests river turtles mainly inhabit freshwater rivers, ponds, and streams.
They are omnivorous feeding on aquatic plants, fruits, mollusks, and fish. River turtles hardly leave water unless to just lay eggs, not even to bask!
They are mostly found in the coastal lowlands of the Gulf of Mexico. River Turtles are highly endangered and are becoming rarer due to being hunted heavily for their meat. [2]
Leatherback Turtles
The leatherback turtles are the only species in the family Dermochelyidae.
They are characterized by large paddle-like flippers which have no claws, and the absence of scutes on their skins.
Leatherback turtles are the largest living turtles weighing up to 916 kg. Their name comes from the feel of the skins they have that is leather-like.
They feed mostly on jellyfish because their jaws are weak and can hardly eat hard prey.
Pond turtles, terrapins, and sliders
These turtles make the best pets.
The red-eared slider has been one of the most sought out pet turtles all over the world. They have varied feeding habits depending on the species.
Some are strictly carnivorous feeding on fish, crustaceans, and annelids. Other species are herbivorous feeding solely on grasses, berries, and flowers.
They are easy to take care of in captivity.
Asian leaf turtles, Asian box turtles, and roofed turtles
These are a diverse group of turtles. Some are highly aquatic, showing up on land periodically to lay eggs.
Other species are entirely terrestrial.
They have a wide range of feeding habits from being carnivorous, omnivorous, or herbivorous. Feeding habits entirely depend on the species.
Afro-American side-necked turtles
These turtles usually fold their necks sideways rather than pulling them back straight into the shells.
Afro- American side-necked turtles are omnivorous as they can feed on both meat and plants. They are quite beautiful to look at as seen by their signature smiling faces!
Mud and Musk Turtles
These turtles are generally small turtles. Their name stems from the pungent musk they produce from glands located in the area between the plastron, and carapace.
They mainly feed on mollusks, insects, annelids, and fish. Some species found in terrestrial areas could feed on plant matter.
The big-headed turtles
As the name suggests, these turtles have a head that is disproportionately large compared to their small bodies.
The head is so big that it cannot retract back into the shell! They have long tails and sharp claws for climbing. The big-headed turtles lack swimming skills and rely on their strong bodies to hold onto rocks in the water.
They are carnivorous feeding mostly on fish and mollusks. They are known to hunt at night and rest during the day.
The big-headed Amazon River turtle, Madagascar big-headed turtles, and the South American side neck river turtles
There turtles have a pelvis is attached to the shell preventing them from any pelvic motion.
They are unable to walk on land hence spend their lives in aquatic environments.
They have streamlined shells to aid in swimming. These turtles cannot retract their heads directly back into the shells. They hide them sideways.
Tortoises
Tortoises are exclusively land-dwelling. They are strictly herbivorous feeding mostly on weeds, grasses flowers, and fruits.
Tortoises have back legs that are thick resembling those of elephants. Their front legs are flat and covered with large scales. They lack webbed feet and instead have tough claws for digging.
Tortoises have very long lifespans. There is documented evidence of an Albrada giant tortoise that was estimated to have lived for 255 years!
Softshell Turtles
Soft shell turtles have shells that lack scutes making them very mobile in water.
They are mainly aquatic preferring to dwell in ponds, streams, rivers, and lakes.
Most species are carnivorous and enjoy a diet of insects, fish, snails, crabs, and birds. They usually ambush their prey while hiding in the mud or sand.
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