Use the size filter: small is a sourced adult shell length up to 6 inches, medium up to 12 inches, large over 12 inches. Species whose source gives no adult size appear only under all sizes. Search by species name or enclosure wording to find the tank or pen reference, then open the entry for the source, section and check date.

In this table each species is grouped by habitat: aquatic turtles such as the red-eared slider and painted turtle live mostly in water and need a filtered tank with a basking area; the eastern box turtle is semi-aquatic and needs humidity and floor space; tortoises such as the Russian, Greek, sulcata and leopard tortoise live on land in a dry pen. Diet also differs: the sourced aquatic and box turtles are omnivores, while most tortoises here are herbivores, with the red-footed tortoise listed as an omnivore.

The sourced ranges vary widely by species: red-eared slider well over 20 years, painted turtle 25 to 30 years, Mississippi map turtle 15 to 20 years on average, eastern box turtle 25 to 50 years, Russian tortoise more than 40 years, and Greek, leopard and red-footed tortoises 50 years or more. Several species have no sourced lifespan and show a note instead. Many species outlive their first owner, so plan for decades of care.

By sourced adult shell length, the smallest in this table are the common musk turtle at 3 to 5 inches, the eastern box turtle at 4.5 to 7 inches and Reeve's turtle at 6 to 9 inches. The musk and Reeve's entries come from a PetMD types article and only give size, so confirm lifespan and enclosure with a species care sheet. Small shell length does not mean a small tank: the aquatic care sheet used here recommends about 10 gallons of tank per inch of body length.

The sourced minimums differ by species and sex: PetMD lists a 20-gallon aquarium as the absolute minimum for one red-eared slider or painted turtle, with 10 more gallons for each extra painted turtle; the aquatic care sheet used for the yellow-bellied slider recommends at least 10 gallons per inch of body length with a 40-gallon minimum; Mississippi map turtles need 25 gallons for males and 75 gallons or more for females. Water is usually kept in the mid to upper 70s F with a warmer basking area. Treat these as starting points and check the entry's source for the full setup.

No. It is a reference of species-level facts, not a suitability ranking, veterinary advice or a legality check. Some species are protected or restricted where you live, and an individual animal's needs can differ from the source's range. Use the first-things-to-confirm prompt on each entry to decide what to verify, then confirm legal status, long-term housing and access to a reptile veterinarian before acquiring a turtle or tortoise.

13 species: six aquatic turtles (red-eared slider, yellow-bellied slider, western painted turtle, Mississippi map turtle, Reeve's turtle, common musk turtle), one semi-aquatic box turtle (eastern box turtle) and six tortoises (Russian, Hermann's, Greek, sulcata, leopard and red-footed). Every claim carries its source, section and check date from PetMD species pages and care sheets, Tortoise Trust care sheets or the Merck Veterinary Manual lifespan table. Entries whose facts come from a group care sheet or a partial source say so on the card.