The Most Popular Turtle, Ranked
Voting rules: Choose the turtle you think is the most popular!
Updated on May 7, 2024 06:52
Turtles have long fascinated people around the globe with their diverse species, each boasting unique habitats and characteristics. Determining which turtle garners the most admiration can provide insights into public interest and help in conservation efforts. By ranking them, enthusiasts and researchers alike can see which turtles are capturing the hearts of people worldwide, guiding educational and preservation priorities.
This interactive ranking allows you to cast your vote for your favorite turtle, contributing to a dynamic list that reflects real-time preferences. Each vote not only influences the standing of each species but also increases awareness about the varied world of these intriguing reptiles. Your participation is crucial in shaping a comprehensive, knowledgeable community attentive to the lives and challenges of turtles.
What Is the Most Popular Turtle?
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148votes
Vaiasgaea · CC BY-SA 4.0The red-eared slider is the most popular turtle in the world, commonly kept as a pet due to its hardy nature and ease of care. It is also popular due to its striking appearance, with bright red markings on its head.The Red-eared slider is a species of turtle native to the southern United States. It is a medium-sized aquatic turtle known for its distinctive red stripe behind the eyes. It is one of the most popular pet turtles worldwide due to its attractive appearance and relatively easy care requirements.- Scientific Name: Trachemys scripta elegans
- Size: Adults typically measure 8-12 inches (20-30 cm) in carapace length
- Lifespan: Can live up to 20-30 years in captivity
- Habitat: Primarily found in freshwater environments such as ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams
- Diet: Omnivorous, feeding on a variety of plant matter, insects, small fish, and aquatic invertebrates
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248votesThe eastern box turtle is a popular pet due to its small size and unique appearance, with a high domed shell and bright colors. It is also popular due to its gentle nature and ease of care.The Eastern box turtle is a species of turtle native to the eastern United States. It belongs to the family Emydidae and the genus Terrapene. It is known for its distinctive appearance and behavior, making it a popular choice among turtle enthusiasts.
- Scientific Name: Terrapene carolina
- Size: 4.5-6 inches (11-15 cm) in length
- Weight: Approximately 1-2 pounds (0.45-0.9 kg)
- Shell: High domed shell with intricate yellow or orange patterns
- Lifespan: Up to 100 years
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326votesThe painted turtle is a popular pet due to its attractive appearance, with bright red and yellow markings on its shell. It is also popular due to its hardy nature and ease of care.The Painted turtle, also known as Chrysemys picta, is a colorful and vibrant turtle species commonly found in North America. Its Shell can exhibit a wide range of patterns and colors, including red, yellow, orange, and black markings. The Painted turtle is widely recognized for its attractive appearance and is often kept as a popular pet globally.
- Scientific Name: Chrysemys picta
- Habitat: Freshwater ponds, lakes, and marshes
- Geographical Range: North America
- Size: 4-10 inches (10-25 cm) in length
- Lifespan: Up to 20-40 years in the wild
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412votesThe spiny softshell turtle is a popular pet due to its unique appearance, with a flat, leathery shell and a long snout. It is also popular due to its hardy nature and ease of care.The Spiny softshell turtle is a species of freshwater turtle belonging to the Trionychidae family. It is known for its unique appearance and physical characteristics.
- Size: Ranges from 13 to 18 inches in length
- Weight: Can weigh between 2 to 7 pounds
- Shell: Flat and leathery with small pointed projections on the edges
- Color: Typically olive-brown or pale yellow with dark spots or blotches
- Habitat: Found in freshwater rivers, lakes, and ponds of North America
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514votes
Alexis Jazz · CC0The yellow-bellied slider is a popular pet due to its attractive appearance, with a bright yellow underside and greenish-brown shell. It is also popular due to its hardy nature and ease of care.The Yellow-bellied slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) is a species of turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is one of the most popular and widely recognized species of turtles. As its name suggests, it is characterized by a yellowish plastron (underside of the shell) and a distinctive pattern on its carapace (top shell). The carapace can vary in color, ranging from olive green to dark brown, providing camouflage in its natural habitats.- Scientific Name: Trachemys scripta scripta
- Family: Emydidae
- Native Range: Southeastern United States
- Size: Up to 12 inches (30 cm) in length
- Lifespan: 25-30 years (up to 40 years in captivity)
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69votes
Holbrook, John Edwards, 1794-1871 (English Wikipedia) · Public domainThe diamondback terrapin is a popular pet due to its unique appearance, with a patterned shell and bright eyes. It is also popular due to its hardy nature and ease of care.The Diamondback terrapin is a unique species of turtle known for its beautiful markings and striking appearance. This turtle is predominantly found in brackish coastal waters, marshes, and tidal estuaries along the eastern coast of North America.- Scientific Name: Malaclemys terrapin
- Average Size: 6-10 inches (15-25 cm)
- Shell Pattern: Distinct diamond-shaped markings
- Shell Color: Ranges from brown and black to gray and white
- Habitat: Coastal waters, brackish marshes, tidal estuaries
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714votes
Nicholasink · Public domainThe Russian tortoise is a popular pet due to its small size and ease of care. It is also popular due to its long lifespan, with some individuals living up to 50 years.The Russian tortoise (Agrionemys horsfieldii) is a small land-dwelling reptile native to the Central Asian regions of Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran. It is widely popular as a pet due to its compact size, hardiness, and docile temperament.- Scientific Name: Agrionemys horsfieldii
- Average Size: 5-8 inches (12-20 cm)
- Shell Color: Various shades of brown and yellow
- Lifespan: 50-75 years
- Habitat: Steppe grasslands and desert regions
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811votes
“Jonathan Zander (Digon3)" · CC BY-SA 3.0The box turtle is a popular pet due to its unique appearance, with a high-domed shell and bright colors. It is also popular due to its gentle nature and ease of care.The Box turtle is a popular species of turtle known for its unique box-like shape and colorful shell patterns. It belongs to the genus Terrapene, which includes several subspecies. Box turtles are widely admired for their small size, friendly nature, and ability to retract their entire body inside the hinged part of their shell, providing excellent protection from predators. They are commonly found in North America.- Size: Adults typically range from 4.5 to 6 inches in length
- Lifespan: An average of 30 to 40 years, but some individuals can live up to 100 years
- Shell: Dome-shaped with a high, arched upper shell (carapace) and a hinged lower shell (plastron)
- Colors: Shell patterns vary widely, including combinations of yellow, brown, black, orange, and red
- Habitat: Woodlands, grasslands, marshes, and forests near freshwater sources
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916votes
Brocken Inaglory · CC BY-SA 3.0The green sea turtle is a popular turtle due to its large size and unique appearance, with a streamlined shell and bright green coloring. It is also popular due to its importance in marine ecosystems.The Green sea turtle, also known as Chelonia mydas, is a species of sea turtle that belongs to the family Cheloniidae. It is one of the most popular animals in Papua New Guinea due to its distinctive appearance and ecological importance.- Scientific Name: Chelonia mydas
- Size: Adults can reach a length of 3 to 4 feet (0.9 to 1.2 meters)
- Weight: Adults can weigh between 200 to 500 pounds (90 to 225 kilograms)
- Color: Typically characterized by a dark green or brown carapace (shell) and yellowish-white plastron (underside)
- Lifespan: Can live for several decades, with some individuals reaching over 80 years
Green sea turtle in other rankings- Position 8 of 10 in Most popular animal in Papua New Guinea
- Position 9 of 10 in Most popular animal in the UAE
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107votesThe leatherback sea turtle is a popular turtle due to its large size and unique appearance, with a soft, rubbery shell. It is also popular due to its importance in marine ecosystems, as it is the largest sea turtle species and plays a crucial role in maintaining ocean health.The Leatherback sea turtle is an extraordinary sea creature known for its impressive size and unique physical characteristics. It is the largest turtle species and one of the most recognized marine animals.
- Size: Can reach lengths of up to 7 feet (2.1 meters) and weigh up to 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms)
- Appearance: Its shell is covered with rubbery skin instead of a hard shell, hence its name. The skin is leathery and has a unique ridged texture.
- Color: The leatherback sea turtle has a dark-colored body, typically black or dark grey, with white or pinkish spots in some areas.
- Migration: Known for their long-distance migrations, leatherback sea turtles can travel thousands of miles between nesting and foraging grounds.
- Habitat: Leatherbacks can be found in both temperate and tropical oceans around the world. They often venture into deeper waters and are capable of diving to depths of over 3,000 feet (914 meters).
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About this ranking
This is a community-based ranking of the most popular turtle. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or Turtle is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!
Statistics
- 2030 views
- 191 votes
- 10 ranked items
Voting Rules
A participant may cast an up or down vote for each Turtle once every 24 hours. The rank of each Turtle is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.
More information on most popular turtle
Turtles are one of the oldest reptile species on Earth, with a history dating back over 220 million years. These shelled creatures come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, from the tiny speckled padloper tortoise to the massive leatherback sea turtle.
But which turtle reigns supreme as the most popular? With so many species to choose from, the answer may surprise you. At StrawPoll, we've collected thousands of votes from turtle enthusiasts around the world to discover which turtle comes out on top. Will it be the colorful red-eared slider, the graceful green sea turtle, or something entirely unexpected? Keep reading to find out!
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