Semi-aquatic turtles are classified by turtle enthusiasts according to the habits of turtles. Semi-aquatic turtles prefer to live on land or in diving than water turtles, but most semi-aquatic turtles cannot stay in deep water for too long, otherwise they risk drowning. Below I will introduce you to the world's top ten semi-aquatic turtles, including: money turtle, yellow-edged closed-shell turtle, ambu closed-shell turtle, cape turtle, saw-edged turtle, brocade box turtle, Carolina box turtle, Japanese ground turtle, cane forest turtle and wood turtle. These turtles have unique appearance and behavioral characteristics and are loved by turtle breeding enthusiasts.
1. Money turtle
The money turtle, also known as the three-lined closed-shell turtle, is a turtle of great ornamental value. They have amphibious living ability, and the respiratory organ is the lungs. The golden turtle is mainly distributed in the coastal areas of the mainland, Vietnam, Laos and other Southeast Asian countries, and prefers to inhabit canyons, streams, river forks and lakes in mountainous and hilly areas, and sometimes climbs into wet mountain streams, grasses and rice paddies.
Money turtles are omnivores, foraging for a variety of fish and shrimp, fruits and vegetables and insects in the wild, and like to bask in the sun on land in clear weather, and most of them hide in the dark when hot weather, with social and cave habits. Overall, the money turtle is a very interesting turtle and is loved by turtle enthusiasts.
2. Yellow-edged closed-shell turtle
The yellow-edged closed-shell turtle, also known as the yellow-edged box turtle, is mainly distributed in central and southern China on the eastern boundary of the mainland, as well as Ishigaki Island and Iriomote Island in the Ryukyu Province, Japan. This turtle is an omnivore, likes to eat insects, fish and shrimp, vegetables and fruits, etc., often roaming in wet places such as forest edges, rivers, lakes, etc., hiding under fallen trees, rocks or fallen leaves.
Yellow-edged closed-shell turtles often go out to forage when it rains, while during the dry season they mostly stay near valleys with flowing water. They are mainly nocturnal in summer, and during the day they hide in shady firewood or rocky piles along the edge of the valley. In winter, the turtles hibernate, usually choosing a shelter of weeds and leaf litter on the sunny slope as a hibernation place.
3. Ambu closed-shell turtle
The Ambu closed-shell turtle, also known as the Malay closed-shell turtle, is the most widely distributed of the semi-aquatic turtles. They are widely distributed in Southeast Asia, where they live in slow-flowing, soft-bottomed waters such as swamps, wetlands, ponds, rivers and rice paddies in plains. Ambu closed-shell turtles feed on plants and also eat small insects such as worms and snails. Although the Ambu closed-shell turtle is a highly aquatic animal, it can sometimes be found on land far from the water. If in a feeding environment, its feeding environment can be set to amphibious mode.
4. Spiny turtle
The spiny turtle is a semi-aquatic turtle known for the sharp spines that surround their dorsal carapace, so it is also known as the sun turtle. They are found in southern Myanmar up to Sumatra and some small islands in Indonesia, living in rainforest areas at altitudes of 100 to 170 meters, and feeding mainly on fruits, leaves, stems and tubers.
The capthorn turtle usually inhabits areas of clear streams, hiding under dead leaves and grass. At an early age, they tend to live a more terrestrial life, have no webbing between their toes, are not good at swimming, and are often found walking on the bottom of cool, damp forests.
5. Saw edge turtle
The saw-edged turtle, also known as the octagonal turtle or octopus turtle, is recognized as one of the most land-dwelling semi-aquatic turtles. They are found in Hunan, Hainan, Yunnan and Liangguang regions of China, as well as in countries such as Vietnam, Myanmar and India. The saw-edge turtle mainly inhabits the hilly mountains of tropical and subtropical regions, living in a relatively humid environment, usually not too far from the water source, and has the habit of drinking water regularly.
Saw-rimmed turtles like to eat snails, worms, insects and other food, and feed entirely on land, more similar to land-dwelling turtles. Therefore, it has been suggested that it is more appropriate to classify it as a terrestrial turtle.
6. Brocade box turtle
The box turtle, also known as the "western box turtle", is similar in habit to the three-toed box turtle, but has a drier distribution. They live mainly in the arid grasslands between the United States and Mexico, and can even adapt to desert environments, feeding on insects, worms, vegetables and fruits.
Box turtles have the ability of tortoises to store water in their bladder and are therefore able to tolerate higher levels of drought than other box turtles. In 1986, the brocade turtle became a state reptile in Kansas, while in Indiana, the turtle was listed as endangered.
7. Carolina box turtle
The Carolina box turtle is a turtle with a shell length of about 10-22 cm and arches high like a box, hence the name. They are mainly found in the US states of Maine and Michigan to Texas and Florida. This turtle is an omnivorous animal that feeds on berries, mushrooms, earthworms, snails and insects.
The Carolina box turtle lives in open woodlands, swampy meadows, floodplains, and scrubby grasslands. Although they belong to the semi-aquatic turtle family, they spend most of their time on land.
8. Japanese ground turtle
The Japanese ground turtle is a semi-aquatic turtle endemic to Japan with a roughly brown body. The length of the adult back is generally 13 cm to 18 cm, and it is widely distributed on the island of Hiroshima. They live in forests with high humidity and feed mainly on insects, snails, tadpoles, frogs or weeds and fruits.
Known as a master of crawling, Japanese ground turtles often roam mountainous jungles in search of food on so-called "grasslands". They can also move around creeks and creeks, but must not enter deep water areas or risk drowning.
9. Cane forest turtle
The cane turtle is a rare semi-aquatic turtle found only in certain parts of southern India. They live in densely wooded hilly areas above 300 meters above sea level, burrow in underground burrows, and feed mainly on plants.
Although cane turtles belong to the semi-aquatic turtle family, they do not like to stay in the water, nor are they too waterthirsty, often crawling in the bush. This rare turtle is relatively rare, but it has attracted much attention and research. In 1911, Indian herpetologist Jaganath Vijaya discovered 1 male and 1 hatchling in the Cochin forest in the southwestern Indian state of Kerala and subsequently tagged 125 of their kind.
10. Wood-grained turtle
The wood-grained turtle is a typical omnivorous turtle distributed in Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and other countries. The larvae tend to be insects such as breadworms, crickets and earthworms, while adults are more omnivorous.
This turtle spends most of its time on land and feeds on land, and its habits are similar to those of box turtles. Although they are small, they are very lively, eat a lot of food, and have no picky eaters at all. Therefore, as a pet, the woodgrain turtle should be one of the easiest and most robust turtle species to keep.
The world's top ten semi-aquatic turtles are mainly obtained by searching relevant network platforms to find out the semi-aquatic turtles in the order of turtles and turtles, and comprehensively considering their numbers, populations, morphological characteristics, popularity and influence. If you have any questions, welcome to pay attention to the comments, criticism, correction.