So you are interested in Turtles and wondering which is the cutest turtle in the world?
Well, let’s start with some general facts about turtles and how these will help you make the right choice in choosing your turtle.
First off, turtles are reptiles. They have a hard protective shield-like shell called the carapace that protects them from predators.
Cutest Turtles in the World by Categories
There are three main categories of Turtles: Turtles, Tortoises, and Sea Turtles.
Hundreds of species and subspecies divisions are available.
The Turtles:
The turtles are naturally semi-aquatic: they live on both land and water.
They spend most of their time in the water and come to the shores to bask in the sun, their primary source of vitamin D3.
Examples of turtles in these categories are:
- The Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans).
- Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina).
- Painted turtle (Chrysemys picta).
The Tortoises:
The tortoise spends lives on the land and swims in shallow waters.
They are terrestrial, and their habitats must simulate the wild from where they came from originally.
Examples of tortoises are the Asian box turtle (Cuora flavomarginata) and the Three-toed box turtle (Terrapene carolina triunguis).
The Sea Turtles:
The sea turtle, as their name depicted, is aquatic. They live entirely in the water.
Their habitat is brackish or saltwater.
They only come out of the water when they are about to lay their eggs on the shores and swim back into the water.
There are seven species of sea turtle: green sea, loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley, olive ridley, hawksbill, flatback, and leatherback.
I know you want to know which ones are the cutest turtles in the universe, maybe to get one.
Having general background knowledge of the turtle you want to adopt or purchase is not bad.
Now, let’s dive into the world’s cutest turtles:
#1 World Cutest Turtles – The Mississippi Map Turtle
This turtle takes the #1 spot on the list of adorable turtles.
Mississippi map turtles, also called False map turtles, are commonly found in the areas of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.
They have beautiful dark blotches and olive-colored carapace with yellow lines. The Mississippi map turtle is a sub-species of the Map turtle.
They are called map turtles because of the map-like lines formed on their back shells.
These beautiful turtles are semi-aquatic breeds.
Due to their beautiful color and ease of care, they are one of the most sought breeds of turtle among the turtle enthusiast.
They are very timid; the map turtle swims away whenever it senses aggression.
The Mississippi map turtle is called the ‘Saw back turtle’ because the ridge runs down the center of its carapace.
Map Turtle Diet
Their diet includes food from plants and animal sources; they are omnivores.
The Map turtles eat insects, mollusks, aquatic crustaceans, and turtle pellets.
When you are feeding them, please give them a portion of food they can consume at a go and ensure there is no leftover food spilling into their water.
They are susceptible to the quality of the water in which they live.
#2 – The Painted Turtle
The painted turtles are adorable and available everywhere in the United States.
They are available in almost every pet store or among herpetologists or other turtle lovers.
The vividly marked and smooth carapace is a unique feature of the Painted turtle.
They live in shoal and quiet freshwater habitats. Like the map turtles, they are semiaquatic.
North America uses them for educational purposes among herpetologists because they are available in large quantities.
There are four known subspecies of the painted turtle.
If you eventually get this breed of turtle, you can expect them to be with you for a very long time because of their average lifespan, which is about 30 years.
Feeding them is easy: they feed on plants (green leaves) and small animals.
By the way, you must always feed them in the water.
It is difficult for their tongue to move quickly, and they can’t handle food well on land.
#3 – Eastern Box Turtle
Another beautiful turtle that made the list of the cutest turtles is the eastern box turtle.
They are subspecies of the box turtles and are predominantly from the eastern part of the United States.
They are also known as land turtles. The eastern box turtle has a beautiful mocha-colored and hinged carapace with bright orange markings.
If your goal is to own an adorable pet turtle, this breed of turtle is a good choice.
However, you must understand that turtles generally don’t like to be petted the same way you would pet and hold other pets like dogs and birds.
It would be best if you created their habitat to simulate their wild habitat.
They are happier outdoors and love access to a constant supply of sunlight, where they derive their vitamin D3.
Another major part of their habitat is water.
They love swimming around in the water and basking in the sun sometimes.
Habitat, Diets & Care
The eastern box turtles poop in their water and eat their poop sometimes (gross, I know).
It would help if you always kept your turtle’s water clean by changing it daily.
In designing the housing for your pet box turtle, the substrate can be either small orchid backs or moistened soil and sand mixed.
You can feed your eastern box turtle with green leaves and vegetables like collard, kale, carrots, and other greens from aquatic sources.
The box turtle eats insects and worms in the wild.
So if you have them in captivity (as pets), you can feed them with the same.
Most pet stores would have feeder insects like grubs and crickets.
A word of caution, wild-caught box turtles will always be making attempts to go back into the wild.
Therefore, getting your box turtle from a reputable breeder is better.
Else, your wild-caught turtle will die of stress trying to return to its original habitat.
#4 Worlds Cutest Turle- The Red-Eared slider
Another semiaquatic turtle that makes our list of the cutest turtles in the world is the red-eared slider turtle.
They are called the Red-eared slider turtle because of the red color patch at the side of their head.
Other names for the red Eared turtle are the red-eared terrapin or the slider turtle.
So, don’t get confused because of the taxonomy when you go into the pet shop or whenever you are about to get one.
Apart from being one of the most beautiful turtles to keep as a pet, the slider turtle is the most popular in the world, according to wildlife facts.
Habitat
Depending on the size of your slider turtle, getting the right size of the aquarium will significantly affect your turtle’s overall health and well-being.
A small slider turtle will require an aquarium that can accommodate 20 gallons of water at a minimum.
An adult requires an aquarium containing at least 75 gallons of water.
As with every other turtle, there is a risk of contracting salmonella from your turtle hatchlings.
The baby turtles usually carry the bacteria on their skins and outer shells.
The tendency of baby turtles to spread bacteria is why it is illegal in the United States to sell a baby turtle less than 4 inches in length.
Diets
There is no special dietary requirement for a Red-eared slider turtle because they will eat just anything you give them.
For instance, you can feed them with specially formulated turtle pellets, green leaves, worms, crickets, etc.
You can feed the slider turtles’ hatchlings daily and reduce their feeding cycles as they grow.
An adult can be fed every other day or once every three days.
Is it Illegal to own a Pet Red-eared slider turtle?
Now you are wondering if it is illegal to own a slider turtle as a pet.
The answer is NO; It is not Illegal to own a slider turtle once you source the turtle from a reputable, licensed breeder.
However, it is illegal to own any pet taken from the wild.
It is unlawful to take any endangered reptiles from their natural habitat.
One reason this becomes illegal is the potential for disease outbreaks that some wild pets potentially host in their bodies.
It is legally prohibited to buy, sell or hold any turtle, tortoise, or reptile of Testudinata order when they are less than 4 inches long.
Always keep the tank clean and change the water regularly.
Also, make it a habit to always wash your hands with soap and water.
#5 – African Aquatic Sideneck Turtle
African Aquatic Sideneck Turtle is another adorable breed of turtle.
Another name for this turtle breed is the African Mud Turtle.
Their origin is West Africa.
This breed is not expensive and is readily available for anyone interested in keeping them.
If you are looking for a charming pet turtle, the African mud turtle should be on your list.
Generally, the African aquatic side-neck turtles (African mud turtle) are called side-necked because of the way they retract their necks sideways.
The lateral flexibility of their neck vertebrate makes it easy for the neck to bend sideways, and they can pull their neck in sideways.
Habitat Design for Sideneck Turtles
The turtle requires adequate space to maximize their well-being.
They require less than 40 gallons of water in their tank and love basking in the sunshine.
When designing their habitat, you should make sure that they have the chance of being able to get outside of water.
Their original habitat (in the wild) is freshwater: mud, swamps, streams, and lagoons.
Sideneck Turtles Diets
When it comes to feeding, they are not selective; they eat anything you give them: from green leaves to fruits, insects, worms, spinach, dandelion, etc.
They also feed on food from animal sources like frogs, tadpoles, beef hearts, and pieces of meat, for example, ground turkey or cooked chicken.
You can also give them commercially processed turtle feeds and treats.
The African mud turtle only eats inside the water, like the Painted turtle earlier discussed.
One way to keep their pond clean is to have a feeding container exclusively for feeding them.
By the way, their average lifespan is around 50 years, so get ready for a lifetime together.
#6 – Central American Wood Turtle
Apart from making the list of the cutest turtles out there, the Central American Wood turtles are very intelligent.
Recognizing their owners is a unique characteristic of the American Wood turtles.
They get used to their owners handling and if you are thinking about getting a beautiful pet turtle, look no further.
Wood Turtle Origin
They are Neotropical, originally from Central and South America.
The Central American wood turtle comprises four subspecies, ranging between Sonora, Mexico, and Costa Rica.
Because they are semi-aquatic, you will always find them along park rivers and streams, upland areas of humid woodland, marshy grassland, and red maple swamp; it is not uncommon to see them wading and swimming in brooks and rain puddles.
According to AnAge, the Animal Ageing and Longevity database, the average lifespan of a wood turtle is 20.4 years as a pet (in captivity).
Wood Turtle Diets
Like most turtles we discussed above, the wood turtles feed on anything you give them.
They eat fruits (for example, oranges, mangoes, strawberries, pawpaw, and guavas) and veggies, grasses, insects, and worms.
The wood turtles eat shrimp and fish.
While they may be swimming and wading in the water most of the time, they only eat on the land, unlike other turtles that feed inside the water.
The Central American wood turtle is beautiful, so people fancy having them as pets.
#7 – Caspian Pond Turtle
The Caspian Pond turtle, also known as the Caspian turtle, is a member of the Geoemydidae family.
Unfortunately, its population is being threatened and declining.
The breed’s declining population is mainly due to human, predatorial, and other phylogeographical factors.
The Caspian turtles originated from the Balkan peninsula, Asia & Middle East. They are available in large quantities there.
The Caspian pond turtle made our list of cutest turtles not only because of its stunning appearance but because of their personality.
Their shell carapace has a color that ranges from dark tan to olive-green to black.
Like some of the turtles on this list, they are semi-aquatic.
They do while in freshwater habitats and can also survive in brackish waters.
Caspian turtles are omnivores; you can feed them with commercially formulated turtle pellets, meat, earthworms, insects, minnows, seafood like fish, shrimps, and leafy greens.
#8 Cutest Turtles in the World- Reeve’s Turtle
If you are considering adopting a nice-looking turtle that retains a moderate size, even when they are old, you should consider Reeve’s turtle.
They belong to the same Geoemydidae family as the Caspian pond turtle.
Their origin is the lakes, muddy ponds, marshes, and leafy brooks in Japan, China, and Korea.
They are available all year round, although they breed mainly between March to August.
In captivity, they live up to 20 years, and with adequate care, they can live longer.
While the Reeve’s made the list of the cutest turtles in the world, the only downside to the Reeve’s Turtle is its temperament.
Reeve’s turtles do not like to be touched. They are not agreeable to handling and petting.
You should limit handling them to only health check inspections or when you need to move them into an alternative habitat for cleaning and feeding.
Reeve’s turtle costs between $40 – $60.
#9 – Stinkpot Turtle
Also known as the Common Musk Turtle, the Stinkpot turtle is known for its distinctive odious smell.
That is why it is called Stinkpot: it stinks!
However, they made our list of the cutest turtles because they are beautiful.
Feeling threatened or disturbed releases a foul-smelling odor from its musk gland as a defense mechanism.
If you decide to adopt a Stinkpot Musk turtle, you should prepare for a lifetime with it because its average lifespan is 55 years.
They eat fish, insects, some leaves, mollusks, and other turtle pellets that are readily available in pet stores.
This turtle species is available throughout the United States and is more abundant in the east and northeastern parts.
Conclusion
Finally, here you have the list of the cutest turtles in the world, and I am sure you agree with me.
Above all, should you decide to adopt any of these turtles as a pet, you should talk to a specialist in the pet shop and also study the care sheet for any species you adopt thoroughly.
You should not only take the health and hygiene of your turtle seriously; you should also maintain a strict practice of personal cleanliness because there are diseases transmitted from turtles to humans.
Do you think other turtles should have made our list of cutest turtle breeds in the world?
Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
