Turtles are reptiles belonging to the order Testudines, which is one of four reptilian orders, the others being crocodilians, squamates (lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalians (tuatara).

On this page we take a look at 30 notable types of turtles, from the land-dwelling desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii, to the mighty leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea, the world’s largest living turtle.

How Many Different Types Of Turtles Are There?

There are 356 turtle species (including tortoises). Together, turtles account for just 3% of all reptiles; there are around 10 times as many snake species, and 20 times as many lizard species, than there are species of turtle.

There are two main types of turtles: “side-necked turtles” of suborder Pleurodira; and “hidden-neck turtles” of suborder Cryptodira; just over two thirds of turtles are hidden-neck turtles. Well-known types of turtles include tortoises, …

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