Meet the species
Seven turtles from the open ocean, the local pond and dry land.
Sea
Green sea turtle
Named for the green fat under its shell, not the shell itself. It grazes on seagrass and can top 300 pounds.
Sea
Leatherback
The biggest turtle alive, up to seven feet long, with a leathery back instead of a hard shell. It dives thousands of feet down after jellyfish.
Sea
Loggerhead
A huge head and jaws strong enough to crunch through conch and crab shells.
Freshwater
Painted turtle
Red and yellow stripes and a habit of basking in rows on logs. It spends the winter under the ice, barely breathing.
Freshwater
Alligator snapping turtle
It lies still with its mouth open, wiggling a pink, worm-shaped lure on its tongue until a fish swims in.
Land
Eastern box turtle
A hinged shell that shuts tight like a box. Many live more than 50 years, often in the same few acres.
Land
Galápagos giant tortoise
Up to 500 pounds, and able to go a year without food or water.