Turtles & Tortoises · Testudines

Pond & box turtles

Family Emydidae

The pond and box turtles — semi-aquatic New-World chelonians. The red-eared slider is the classic (and routinely under-estimated) aquatic turtle: it needs a real pond in a tank.

3 species on Baskden · 3 with a full care guide.

Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta Intermediate ✓ Care guide The classic colourful native basker — hardy and personable, but a full heated, filtered aquarium turtle for life.
Red-Eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans Intermediate ✓ Care guide The classic pet turtle — cheap and cute as a hatchling, but a big, long-lived aquatic animal that needs a serious filtered tank.
Yellow-Bellied Slider Trachemys scripta scripta Intermediate ✓ Care guide The red-eared slider's close cousin — the same big, heated-aquarium, decades-long commitment.

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