types of turtles Article

When it comes to exotic pets, turtles seem to lead the list of animals which are preferred around the world. Some choose them as they are quite adorable, while others opt for them as you don't require to put in much effort in terms of care. When it comes to pet turtle care, keeping pet turtles that stay small is a definite advantage. There exist numerous benefits of keeping these small turtles are pets. Before we move on, you need to understand that what we refer to as small pet turtles are the turtles which can, at the max, grow to a length of five inches.

List of Small Pet Turtles

The popularity of pet turtles that stay small can be attributed to the fact it's convenient to house them even in your small apartment. While the big turtle species, requiring ample space, have to be kept outdoors, small turtles can be kept in a 40 - 50 gallon aquarium inside the house. At the same time, you don't have to worry much when it comes to their behavior, care or dietary habits. If you have been looking for some turtle species that don't grow too big, the list of aquatic pet turtles that stay small given below will put forth some options for you.

Speckled Padloper Tortoise: On an average, a Speckled Padloper tortoise grows to a length of 2.4 - 3.1 inches and weighs 3.4 - 5.8 oz. With this size, it can be easily housed in an aquarium with a capacity of 40 gallons. Add to it the fact that this turtle species feeds on small succulent plants, and keeping it as a pet becomes all the more easier.

Mud Turtles: Mud turtles are pet turtle species native to the United States, Mexico as well as some parts of Africa. Among the four mud turtle species, the Common Mud Turtle and Striped Mud Turtle can attain a length of 3 - 4.5 inches. The Sonoran Mud Turtle and Yellow Mud Turtle species, on the other hand, grow up to a length of 3 - 6 inches, which is again relatively small.

Musk Turtles: Growing to a length of 3 - 5 inches when they are fully matured, musk turtle species is yet another species which can be kept as pets owing to their small size. As in the case of mud turtles, even musk turtles have four species - the Flattened Musk (3 - 4.5 inches), Loggerhead Musk (3 - 5 inches), Common Musk (3 - 5 inches), and Razor-backed Musk (3 - 6 inches).

Spotted Turtle: A semi-aquatic species, the spotted turtle can grow to a length of 3 - 5 inches when it attains full growth. Owing to its small size, a 55 gallon tank is more than enough to house this species. The spotted turtle species is more of land pet turtle, and hence its ideal captive habitat has to be half water and half land.

Reeves Turtles: With an average length of 5 inches the Reeves turtle, also known as the Chinese pond turtle, is an ideal choice when it comes to pet turtles that stay small. Yet another advantage of choosing this species is the fact that they have a very docile nature, and hence make very good pets for beginners.

Those were some of the small turtles which tend to make ideal pets. The best part about the different types of pet turtles mentioned in this article is that you don't even have to spend a fortune on their housing or care. Even though these pet turtles that stay small are quite popular as pets, keeping them in captivity is considered to be illegal in some jurisdictions. Taking that into consideration, you will have to find out the legalities of keeping these aquatic turtles as pets before you buy them.