Conservation note: the Black Marsh Turtle is almost entirely black, shell and skin — broken only by a pale spot behind each eye that reads as a permanent smile. A Southeast Asian swamp specialist, also called the Siamese Temple Turtle. Endangered.
turtlefluent.com/species/bla…
2
6
43
Geography: Blanding's Turtle centers on the Great Lakes, but isolated pockets persist in Nova Scotia, Maine and New York — likely relics of a wider postglacial range. A yellow-chinned marsh turtle that can live 70+ years. Endangered. turtlefluent.com/species/bla…
9
83
Species spotlight: the Tent Tortoise is named for its shell — each scute rises into its own pyramid, so the carapace reads like a row of tents. A 4–6 inch specialist of South Africa's arid Karoo scrub, and Near Threatened. turtlefluent.com/species/ten…
Community question: despite the name, the White-Throated Snapping Turtle is a herbivore — aquatic plants and fruit. It's Australia's largest short-necked turtle, and Critically Endangered. Which turtle's name misleads you most?
turtlefluent.com/species/whi…
Conservation note: the Japanese Pond Turtle is the only native freshwater turtle across most of Japan. Introduced Chinese pond turtles now hybridize with it, muddying the genetics of wild populations. 5-7 in, Near Threatened. turtlefluent.com/species/jap…
5
73
Geography note: the Ringed Map Turtle lives in one river system on the Mississippi-Louisiana line and nowhere else on Earth. A range that small leaves little margin — it's listed Vulnerable. turtlefluent.com/species/rin…
1
5
78
Species spotlight: not every tortoise is a grazer. Forsten's Tortoise forages at twilight in Sulawesi's damp forests, taking slugs, worms and carrion alongside fallen fruit — and it needs humidity, not desert heat. 8-12 in, Endangered. turtlefluent.com/species/for…
1
14
106
Feeding note: the Suwannee Cooter is a committed vegetarian. Adults graze aquatic plants and algae almost exclusively — a diet worth matching in captivity. Florida-endemic, Gulf-draining rivers only, and females reach 17in. turtlefluent.com/species/suw…
Community question: ever seen a Black Pond Turtle? Pale starbursts scatter across its head and shell, and the markings vary from one individual to the next. South Asia's rivers and marshes — Endangered, CITES I. turtlefluent.com/species/bla…
Geography: a turtle that lives in the Sahara. The Saharan Pond Turtle holds out in oases, wadis and intermittent desert rivers from southern Morocco to NW Libya. Many have pale bluish eyes, unlike their Iberian relatives. turtlefluent.com/species/sah…
TurtleFluent retweeted
Molly the sea turtle returns to the ocean after 22 years in an Irish aquarium
Rescued in Ireland in 2004 with severely injured flippers, she spent years recovering before finally being released into the Atlantic Ocean off Portugal
Two doors, one turtle: the Mashona hinged terrapin folds its head sideways under the shell rim, then lifts a hinged plastron flap to close the gap behind it. 7-10 in, and one of Africa's most widely ranging side-necks.
turtlefluent.com/species/mas…
