Where Do Turtles Live? Exploring The Diversity Of Turtle Habitats

It helps to know which geographical regions turtles call home. Essentially, it’s beneficial for proper care, conservation efforts, reintroduction success, and species identification.

So, where do turtles live? Pretty much everywhere except Antarctica and the super cold Tundra. Primo turtle habitats in the wild are:

• Indo-Burma
• Southeastern USA
• Mesoamerica
• North American deserts
• North and East Australia
• Gulf of Mexico 
• Mediterranean region
• South, West, and Central Africa
• Maldives

I’ll delve deeper into turtle distribution in the wild and countries with the highest turtle diversity. Also, I’ll look a bit into turtle habitats in captivity.

Where Do Turtles Live In The Wild? Turtle Types and Regional Distribution

To start, I’ll categorize turtles into terrestrial, freshwater, and marine. Now, here’s a breakdown of habitats and hotspots for each turtle type. 

No.	Turtle Type	Habitat	Regional Distribution
1	Terrestrial	Forests, grassland, and deserts	Indo-BurmaSoutheastern USAMesoamericaNorth American desertsNorth and East AustraliaGangesAmazoniaSundalandTumbes–Chocó–Magdalena
2	Freshwater	Streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and marshes
3	Marine	Seas and oceans	Gulf of MexicoMesoamerican ReefSouth and West AfricaMaldivesArabian regionMediterranean seaAustralia

Note that terrestrial and freshwater turtles have similar regional distribution. For terrestrial and freshwater, I’ve listed megadiverse regions with at least 20 turtle species.

Now, let’s look at terrestrial, freshwater, and marine turtle regional distribution in detail.

Terrestrial and Freshwater Turtle Distribution

Only two turtle species are exclusively terrestrial – the common box turtles and tortoises. As I mentioned, terrestrial turtles and freshwater terrapins co-exist. The difference comes down to the region that has more density.

The Indo-Burma region is the richest in freshwater turtles, with the Burmese roofed turtle being the most common. Most species are in southernmost China (31 species) and Eastern India (28 species). Other equally diverse areas in the Indo-Burma region are:

• Chittagong Hill Tracts of Eastern Bangladesh (22 species)
• Myanmar (27 species and home to the Burmese star tortoise)
• Thailand (26 species)
• Vietnam (27 species)
• Laos (19 species)
• Cambodia  (15 species)

Southeast USA and North American deserts of Mojave and Sonoran have the highest density of terrestrial turtles. Essentially, the US has the most box turtles. As for freshwater terrapins, pond sliders are the most common, mostly in Alabama.

Mesoamerica is another region rich in freshwater turtles. It’s home to the Central American snapping turtle and the Mesoamerican sliders. The latter is more prevalent, inhabiting Mexico to Colombia.

Here’s a list of other regions rich in terrestrial and freshwater turtles. For each region, I’ve included some of the most prevalent turtle species.

• Congo  (Upemba mud turtle and African sideneck turtles)
• Guinea Forest (West African mud turtle and Ivory Coast mud turtle)
• South Africa (Leopard tortoise and Angulate tortoise)
• New Guinea (New Guinea snapping turtle)
• Ganges (Indian softshell and Indian roofed turtle)
• Sundaland (Southeast Asia box turtle)
• Amazonia (Amazon River turtle)
• Madagascar and Indian Ocean Islands (Ploughshare tortoise and Madagascar big-headed turtle)
• Mediterranean Basin (Greek tortoise and Hermann’s tortoise)

Note that while freshwater turtles are semi-aquatic, the common musk turtle is almost entirely aquatic. Also, most would think freshwater turtles only inhabit freshwater bodies. While true, the diamond-backed terrapin is an exception that can also live in salty water. 

Marine Turtles Distribution

There are seven living species of marine turtles. In mapping marine turtle distribution, I’ll cover areas for nesting, migration, and residence.

The Gulf of Mexico and Mesoamerican Reef are primary hotspots for marine turtles. Some key areas that host large turtle populations in these regions are: 

• Louisiana Coast
• Central Veracruz
• Florida Keys
• Yucatan Peninsula

Nonetheless, there are other regions rich in marine turtles. Notable mentions are the Indian Ocean coastline of South Africa, coastal West Africa, Maldives, and the Mediterranean.

Each marine turtle species has a preferred habitat. You’ll find green turtles in large numbers in bays and protected shores. Loggerheads prefer tropical and subtropical waters. On the other hand, Hawksbill turtles prefer the central Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions.

Flatback and Olive Ridley turtles are primarily coastal, with Kemp’s Ridley inhabiting shallow waters often with muddy or sandy bottoms. Leatherbacks have the widest distribution and rarely approach coastal waters except for nesting. 

But to be more specific, I’ll list each sea turtle species and their regional distribution.

Marine Turtle Species	Regional Distribution
Leatherback turtles	The entire Indian Ocean, Southwest Pacific (Tasmania and New Zealand), North Atlantic (Newfoundland and Labrador), Barents Sea, Northeast Pacific (Gulf of Alaska to near Chile), and South Atlantic (South Africa and Argentina)
Hawksbill turtles	Indo-Pacific and central Atlantic
Flatback turtles	North, Northwest, and North East Australia
Green turtles	West American coast from Baja to Peru
Olive Ridley turtles	Tropical waters of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans
Kemp’s Ridley turtles	Gulf of Mexico
Loggerheads turtles	Temperate and tropical waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Atlantic Ocean.

Where Do Turtles Live In Captivity?

Aquatic (freshwater) and terrestrial turtles are the preferred pet turtles for hobbyists worldwide. Turtle species like the Red-eared slider and African sideneck turtles adapt well to captive conditions. 

Others, like the map and painted turtles, are challenging to maintain.

Aquatic Turtle Habitat In Captivity

The aquatic pet turtle habitat should have elements of wild freshwater environments. For this, you’ll need an appropriately sized aquarium or turtle tank. The general rule is 10 US gallons per inch of shell length. But for hatchlings, 10 gallons is enough for short-term use.

Your aquarium’s depth should be at least 1.5-2  times your turtle’s shell height for easy swimming. Add sand, gravel, and river rock substrates to the aquarium for burrowing.

Also, turtles are messy pets that make the water cloudy and smelly. Therefore, have canister filters to keep the water clean and oxygenated.

You may wonder, whether turtles need a water heater. They need a heat source to regulate their body temperature. Essentially, maintain the water temperature at 78 to 80 degrees. For this, you can use submersible heaters. 

Also, add basking lights and UVA/UVB lamps to simulate natural lighting for calcium absorption. Plus, use dechlorinated water and change half of it weekly to reduce ammonia buildup. Note that these requirements are the same for how to set up a baby turtle tank for 6 to 12-month hatchlings.

Terrestrial Turtle Habitat In Captivity

You should center the habitat of terrestrial pet turtles on dry land. Primarily, you need a large, custom-built enclosure that’s a minimum of 6 times your turtle’s length and width.

The best idea is to pair the indoor habitat with an outdoor run. That way, your turtle benefits from natural sunlight and more room for exercise.

Don’t forget to add substrates like mulch, grass, or dirt for burrowing. Add shelters like rock overhangs and provide a bowl of fresh water for hydration and soaking.

Conclusion

“Where do turtles live?” depends on the species. You’ll find terrestrial turtle species in grasslands, forests, deserts, and suburban areas. Freshwater species occupy ponds, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. On the other hand, highly migratory sea turtles occupy oceanic and coastal habitats.

As a hobbyist, you can successfully house a turtle with the appropriate enclosures tailored to the species’ needs. Turtle species like the red-eared slider make great pets.