15 Weird and Cutest Turtle and Endangered Tortoise Species

Do you know there are 360 species of turtles? Turtles and tortoises are one of the beautiful animals in the world. Many families often take them as pets, mainly due to a few features. In this article, you will learn more about each species and some interesting facts about them.

Diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin): This turtle inhabits the coastal brackish and saltwater marshes of the eastern and southeastern U.S. It is a medium-sized turtle, with males reaching about 5 inches in carapace length and females significantly larger at 9 inches. Generally, the carapace and skin coloration of a terrapin is gray to whitish, with varying patterns of black spots and streaks. Some even have black "mustaches." Occasionally, yellow blotches are found on the carapace scutes, and an orange tinge may be present on the marginal scutes of some individuals. Diamondback terrapins live in the very narrow strip of coastal habitats on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States, from as far north as Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to the southern tip of Florida and around the Gulf Coast to Texas.