Shelled reptiles, about 360 species, including land-living tortoises, freshwater terrapins and sea turtles. Sea turtles are the only reptiles that migrate long distances to lay their eggs.
This entry covers a whole group, so the answers describe a typical member. For a specific one, see Sea turtle, Terrapin, Tortoise.
Quick answers
What is it?Reptile
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Turtles don’t truly hibernate, but some can lie dormant for months (brumation).
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
Some land and freshwater species are widely kept as pets.
Do people eat it?In places
Hunted for meat, traditional medicine and shells.
At a glance
Found inOceans, Worldwide
HabitatRivers & lakes, Open ocean, Coast, Wetland
ColoursGreen, Brown
SizeLarge
LengthUp to over 2.7 m (leatherback turtle)
WeightUp to over 500 kg (leatherback turtle)
Legs4
Covered inShell
Lives alone
Lives for50–100 years
Can swim
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Most continents and some islands, plus much of the ocean in the case of sea turtles.
Did you know
Some sea turtles return to nest on the very beach where they hatched.
The leatherback, the largest turtle, is also the fourth-largest living reptile.
Often confused with
- Tortoise
All tortoises are turtles, but tortoises are the land specialists, with column-like legs and elephant-like feet instead of flippers.
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