Meet the turtles
Point at (or tap) a picture to learn about that turtle.
Green sea turtle
Green sea turtle
Glides over coral reefs and grazes on seagrass.
- Lives:
- Warm oceans worldwide
- Size:
- Up to 4 ft, 400+ lb
- Lifespan:
- 70+ years
🐢 Named for the green color of its body fat, not its shell.
Leatherback sea turtle
Leatherback sea turtle
The biggest turtle alive.
- Lives:
- Every ocean, even near the Arctic
- Size:
- Up to 7 ft, 2,000 lb
- Lifespan:
- 50+ years
🐢 Has no hard shell — its back is leathery skin over tiny bones.
Hawksbill sea turtle
Hawksbill sea turtle
A reef jewel with a beak like a bird.
- Lives:
- Tropical coral reefs
- Size:
- About 3 ft, 150 lb
- Lifespan:
- 30–50 years
🐢 Eats sponges that would be poisonous to most animals.
Red-eared slider
Red-eared slider
Loves to bask on sunny logs in calm ponds.
- Lives:
- Ponds and rivers, USA
- Size:
- 8–12 in
- Lifespan:
- 20–40 years
🐢 The red stripe behind each eye gives it its name.
Eastern box turtle
Eastern box turtle
A forest walker that can close up tight.
- Lives:
- Eastern US woodlands
- Size:
- 4–6 in
- Lifespan:
- 50–100 years
🐢 A hinged bottom shell lets it seal itself in like a box.
Alligator snapping turtle
Alligator snapping turtle
A spiky, prehistoric-looking giant.
- Lives:
- Rivers of the southeastern US
- Size:
- Up to 2.5 ft, 175 lb
- Lifespan:
- 50–100 years
🐢 Wiggles a pink worm-like lure on its tongue to catch fish.
Galápagos giant tortoise
Galápagos giant tortoise
The heavyweight of the land.
- Lives:
- Galápagos Islands
- Size:
- Up to 5 ft, 500+ lb
- Lifespan:
- 100–175 years
🐢 Can go up to a year without eating or drinking.
Indian star tortoise
Indian star tortoise
Wears a shell covered in stars.
- Lives:
- Dry grasslands of India & Sri Lanka
- Size:
- 6–10 in
- Lifespan:
- 30–80 years
🐢 The star pattern helps it hide in grass by breaking up its outline.
Mata mata
Mata mata
A master of disguise.
- Lives:
- Amazon and Orinoco rivers
- Size:
- Up to 18 in
- Lifespan:
- 30+ years
🐢 Looks like a pile of dead leaves and vacuums up fish in a gulp.
Pig-nosed turtle
Pig-nosed turtle
A freshwater turtle with flippers and a snout.
- Lives:
- Rivers of Australia & New Guinea
- Size:
- Up to 2 ft
- Lifespan:
- 30+ years
🐢 Uses its piggy nose like a snorkel to breathe from underwater.
Common musk turtle
Common musk turtle
Tiny, shy, and a little stinky.
- Lives:
- Creeks and ponds, eastern North America
- Size:
- 3–5 in
- Lifespan:
- 50+ years
🐢 Nicknamed "stinkpot" for the smelly musk it gives off when scared.
Cup turtles
Cup turtles
The unofficial mascots of Cup of Turtles.
- Lives:
- Your favorite mug
- Size:
- Cup-sized
- Lifespan:
- Forever in our hearts
🐢 Best enjoyed with a slow morning coffee.