Turtles live in a wide variety of habitats across the world, adapted to different environments depending on the species.
Aquatic and Semi-Aquatic Turtles
- Most turtle species are aquatic or semi-aquatic, inhabiting freshwater bodies such as ponds, lakes, rivers, bogs, and wetlands. These habitats provide the water and organic soils that support their life cycles and food sources
- Freshwater turtles often have territories spanning several kilometers and may use multiple aquatic habitats seasonally for feeding, mating, and hibernation
- Wetlands are especially important habitats for many North American freshwater turtles, providing diverse and essential resources
Marine Turtles (Sea Turtles)
- Marine turtles live in most of the world's oceans except cold polar waters, favoring shallow continental shelf waters, bays, lagoons, and estuaries. They are found mainly in tropical and subtropical seas but some species like leatherbacks can tolerate colder waters and dive very deep
- Female sea turtles come ashore on sandy beaches to lay eggs, often returning to the same beach where they hatched
- Sea turtles are ocean wanderers, migrating long distances between feeding and nesting grounds
Terrestrial Turtles and Tortoises
- Some turtles, such as tortoises, live primarily on land in grasslands, semi-deserts, and rough terrain. They are adapted to warmer temperatures and do not live in water, although many turtles that are aquatic still come onto land for basking and nesting
Geographic Distribution
- The greatest diversity of turtle species is found in southeastern North America and South Asia, with other rich regions including the Amazon basin and parts of South and Southeast Asia
- Turtles are found on most continents, many islands, and in a variety of aquatic and terrestrial habitats worldwide, except for extreme environments like tundra
In summary, turtles inhabit freshwater wetlands, rivers, lakes, coastal marine waters, tropical and temperate oceans, and terrestrial habitats such as grasslands and semi-deserts, depending on their species and adaptations
