Turtles are slow only on land – they can swim at great speed. These reptiles appeared on Earth much earlier than us, and can consider themselves the rightful owners of the planet. These animals are a symbol of wisdom, wealth and longevity. It is said that the owner of a turtle will certainly live long and richly.
1.Spiny turtle
You can meet these amazing creatures in the mountain streams and swamps of the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Young spiny turtles lead a predominantly terrestrial lifestyle, but the older generation prefers to rest in the water. Spiny turtles are very small – up to 22 centimeters in length. They are adapted to life in an aquarium and make excellent pets.
2.Leatherback turtle
The largest turtle in the world – its weight can reach 900 kilograms. In addition, the leatherback turtle is the fastest reptile – it can reach speeds in water up to 35 kilometers per hour. Adult individuals live in the world’s oceans, and are tireless travelers overcoming great distances. These turtles feed exclusively on jellyfish, and often die because of plastic bags that fall into the ocean – poor reptiles perceive them as food.
3.Yellow-spotted humpback turtle
Yellow-spotted humpback turtles are incredibly beautiful creatures. They live in the Mississippi basin. These are very small turtles, no more than 18 cm in length. Many owners of home terrariums adore these turtles – and for good reason. They are easy to care for, they are not aggressive and they recognize their owners. These little predators feed on aquarium fish, raw chicken hearts, newborn mice, frogs, gammarus, grasshoppers and mice.
4.Red-bellied short-necked tortoise
This graceful turtle has a very unusual appearance. A small head, funny webbed feet and an orange-red abdomen look very funny and cute. Red-bellied short-necked turtles live in the rivers, lakes and lagoons of New Guinea and Australia. They quickly get used to captivity, and therefore are excellent for home breeding. You can feed such pets with small fish, seafood and insects.
5.Red-headed flat turtle
The main distinguishing feature of this beauty is a very long neck with spines. The red-headed flat turtle cannot completely hide the neck in the shell, and therefore lays it on the side. These unique reptiles live in the shallow waters of Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia and Peru.
6.Ocellated trionyx
Quite large turtles – up to 60 cm in length. On the shell, young ocellated trionyxes have spots resembling eyes – it is thanks to them that the turtles got their name. You can meet these beautiful turtles in eastern India and Bangladesh. If you are the owner of a very spacious aquarium, you can buy such a reptile – of course, such a pleasure will cost you a lot, but it will be great to impress guests. Ocellated trionyxes feed on fish and newborn mice.
7.Magnificent forest turtle
The bright coloration of the magnificent forest turtle is very attractive to terrariumists. This species needs good conditions – the division of the aquarium into land and water, a lamp that provides bright light in case the turtles want to bask. These are small turtles, up to 20 cm in length – and therefore they are quite suitable for home breeding. In nature, they can be found in humid forests from Mexico to Costa Rica. Usually, young turtles prefer to spend time in the water, and more mature individuals get out on land.
8.Kallagur
Sufficiently large turtles – the length of the carapace can reach 50 cm. The head of males is white, there is a red stripe and blue spots on the muzzle. The head of females is dark gray, with a blurred orange edging.
9.Hamilton turtle
These are medium-sized turtles found in the rivers and forest ponds of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Females of this species, as a rule, are much larger than males. The Hamilton tortoise got into our selection due to its amazing color – black with a lot of creamy white spots.
10.Leopard turtle
Also known as the “panther tortoise”. A fairly large species, reaching 50 cm in length. The main advantage of the leopard tortoise, of course, is the extraordinary beauty of the color – chaotic spots of pale yellow, brown and black colors will not leave anyone indifferent. Despite their spectacular and majestic appearance, leopard tortoises have very funny habits. They playfully move their paws at the sight of food, trying to develop maximum speed in order to quickly get dinner.
