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Turtles are one of the cutest animals in the world. Many families often take them as pets, mainly due to a few features.
Easy to take care of and low-cost expenses. The animals are also relatively safe, making them perfect for kids.
There are more than 350 turtle species around the globe inhabiting both land and water habitats. Some of the cutest turtles in the world are Mississippi Map Turtle, Eastern Box Turtle, Red-eared Turtle, Red-bellied Turtle Yellow-bellied Slider, and Florida Box Turtle, among others.
In this article, you will learn more about each species and some interesting facts about them.
List of 10 Cutest Turtles in the World
Mississippi Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica kohni)
The Mississippi Map Turtle is a small and cute animal that is only 6-10 inches big. It has an average lifespan of 15-20 years. You can get one for only 100-150 dollars.
Not true to their name Map Turtles live across many American states like Arkansas, Maryland, Wisconsin, Sweet Home Alabama, and many others.
These cute little turtles love the water. They live in areas with lakes, rivers, or large streams.
The Mississippi Turtle is an amphibious animal. That means that they love living near land and water. Thus they may make their homes near fallen trees water bodies.
An interesting fact about them is that they are hardworking when it comes to their eggs. This species of turtle dig very deep nests to protect their descendants.
Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)
The Painted Turtle is relatively tiny. Their size is between 5 and 7 inches, and they can live on an average of 20 to 25 years. The Painted Turtle can cost anywhere from 30 to 150 dollars.
These cute turtles are species living mainly in North America. However, you can find them in places ranging from Canada to Mexico.
Painted Turtle habitats mostly include ponds, slow rivers, or marshes. If you have seen this exciting animal, you may think they are the turtle equivalent of a cat.
They bask in the sun for about 6 hours a day, maybe more. When they are not sunbathing, they are eating worms, insects, or even small fish.
It is interesting how independent the hatchlings are. The moment the eggs are laid in the nest, their parents vanish, leaving the next generation to survive on its right from its birth.
Related: Cutest Horse Breeds
Florida Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina bauri)
The Florida Box Turtle can reach 5-7 inches in size. Their average lifespan in the wild is about 25-30 years, yet some can age up to 50. The price of this cute turtle can be anywhere from 200-400 dollars.
They originate from the USA and mainly live in Florida but can be seen in Georgia. Check the law and get permission first if you want them as pets. Without a license, it’s illegal to own more than one.
Surprisingly different from most of the other species in the ranking. The Florida Box Turtle prefers to live in marshlands, wetlands, or new swamps.
By being an omnivore turtle, its diet consists of a mixture of meat and plant-based food. Their typical diet includes worms, fruits, crickets, snails, or flowers.
It is interesting to note that these turtle species don’t love swimming. They enter the water on occasions but rarely deep enough to enjoy a nice swim.
Red-eared Turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans)
The Red-eared Turtle has a lifespan of 20-30 years. They are from the smaller side with only 12 inches in length. The Red-eared is the cheapest of all the species so far, going average for 20 dollars.
These animals prefer the warm climate. They originate from the Gulf of Mexico but can also be found in Florida or Colorado.
This specie loves the warm waters. Their usual habitat is ponds, swamps, or creeks. In general, places where they can find a buffet of food nearby.
The Red-eared Turtle diet includes earthworms, kale, shrimps, krill, and other leafy greens.
An interesting fact about them is that they are cute little turtle hermits. The animal usually prefers to live alone and socialize only during the mating season.
Red-bellied Turtle (Pseudemys rubriventris)
This small cute turtle can reach anywhere between 8-15 inches in size. They live on about 40-55 years, which is astonishing and can be bought for 30-150 dollars.
The origins of this turtle lay in Alabama. Yep, these freshwater turtles are native to this state of America.
Their favorite living place is marshes, ponds, creeks, and other freshwater basins.
Similar to other small and cute turtle species, their diet includes mainly insects like worms and various aquatic plants which they can find near their habitats.
These cute turtles make great pets as they are safe and perfect for kids unless they grow bigger than them, so don’t overfeed them.
Interesting about this species of turtles is that they are quite mysterious when it comes to their reproduction. There are not many details, but we know that they nest during the summer months of June and July.
Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta)
This species of cute turtle can be considered minor with its average size of 5-9 inches. They live up to 50 years and can cost you 10-100 dollars. It depends on whether you want a hatchling or a grown one.
Originating from America, you can see these cute turtles in states like Virginia, Carolinas, Florida, etc.
Like most previous species, their habitats are lakes, ponds, or swamps. Any bodies of water will do for them. These turtles can move from place to place and have no problem finding a new home.
The Yellow-bellied Slider is an omnivore. That means that they eat mainly pond plants and insects.
Interestingly, they are more carnivores while they are young and become more herbivore-like adults. When people watch them as a pet, they give them mainly veggies.
Mud Turtle (Kinosternon)
The Mud Turtle is one of the smallest turtles reaching only 3-4 inches. A representative of this cute turtle specie can cost you anywhere from 100-150 dollars. That is great because they can live up to 40 years.
Originating from North and South America, the Mud Turtle’s favorite habitat is muddy marshes and small ponds.
As omnivores, their favorite foods include insects, mollusks, fish, and whatever they find in the pond.
This attractive species is by far not the cutest turtles out there. They are pretty aggressive if you bother them and can even attack you.
So if you face one, remember not to make them feel threatened, or they can poke you with their sharp beak.
Although not dangerous as bears, you can win a fight in the end. Do not stress or disturb them unless you want to see ninja turtles in action.
Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)
Another small but cute turtle species is the Eastern Box Turtle. They can reach up to 5-6 inches in size and live on average 25-35 and reach up to 100 years in rare cases. The Eastern Box Turtle can cost anywhere 140-160 dollars.
The Eastern Box Turtle originates from North America and Mexico. The species prefer to live in marshy meadows, forest fields, or shrubby grasslands.
This cute box turtle has an enjoyable diet. The turtle can eat flowers, insects, berries, and even eggs.
Life for these animals is going on full speed. They are busy boys working all day to find food, find partners to mate with, or explore. As a result, the Eastern Box Turtle rests only at night under fallen trees or a carefully prepared burrow.
An interesting fact about them is that if they sense danger. These turtles immediately hide into their shell, depending on their portable armor for protection.
Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
This sea turtle size can be anywhere between 2-3 feet, and it can live up to 50 or 60 years. According to sources, one Hawksbill Sea Turtle can cost about 70 dollars in Vietnam and reach up to 1000 in China – DO NOT ATTEMPT TO BUY.
The Hawksbill Sea Turtle is an aquatic animal named after its pointed beak. The animal itself lives in the tropical oceans and favors the coral reefs for living and food service areas as they eat the reef sponges.
They are one of the minor representatives of their kind. These cute turtles are similar to their relatives. They live in the water and come on to the beach only to lay their eggs.
An interesting but sad fact about this species is that they are sought for their shells. People buy the animal’s shells for various reasons ranging from jewelry to medicine endangering the species.
Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys Coriacea)
The cute leatherback turtle has an average lifespan of 45-50 years. They can grow on average 4-6 feet, while the biggest one ever has reached 10 feet. Unfortunately, you cannot buy this species as they won’t make good pets as you can’t even walk them unless you are the Aquaman.
The species are endangered by the ruin of their habitats, trash in the sea (they see it as jellyfish), and the fishing nets.
Leatherback Sea Turtle is the world’s largest one, and it lives in tropical waters, but that doesn’t stop them from diving deeper than any other of their relatives. This animal has more fat than the other sea turtles and can go on a depth of 1km.
An interesting fact about them is that they have lived even during the time of the dinosaurs. But, sadly nowadays, their future is uncertain due to various reasons.
Wrap Up
And, there you have it – the top 10 cutest turtles around the globe.
If you are still considering acquiring one as a pet – do it! You won’t regret it. Turtles are super unique and fun pets. However, they require a lot of attention and care.
We would suggest some smaller species like Florida or Eastern Box Turtle, Mud Turtle, or Red-bellied Turtle. Good luck to you and your cute armored friend!
Thank you for reading. If you liked this post, we would recommend another popular read: Most Humble Animals
Further Reading:
https://www.thesprucepets.com/mississippi-map-turtles-1238353
https://srelherp.uga.edu/turtles/chrpic.htm
https://www.boxturtles.com/florida-box-turtle/
https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlife/field-guide/reptiles/red-eared-slider
https://www.petguide.com/breeds/turtle/northern-red-bellied-turtle/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-bellied_slider
https://www.britannica.com/animal/mud-turtle
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/eastern-box-turtle