Aquatic Turtle Habitats

Painted turtle

Aquatic turtles are common reptiles that have a wide distribution across North America. These turtles live in many different habitats depending on their species, with some aquatic turtles having a distinct preference when it comes to where they live. Some of these species, like the alligator snapping turtle, spend most of their lives in the water, while others, such as mud turtles, are at home in the water or on land.

Needs

The bottom of a body of water often dictates if it is a suitable habitat for certain aquatic turtles. The Florida soft-shell turtle looks for waters with a sandy or muddy bottom that are soft enough for the turtle to bury itself in it. Another factor that makes a habitat livable for an aquatic turtle includes the presence of aquatic vegetation in enough abundance to support its diet. Most aquatic turtles have a diet that includes at least some aquatic plants, with some, such as the cooter, living on a nearly all-vegetarian menu. Many turtles that live in water need a place to bask in the sun during the daylight hours but still escape any threat when it appears. Logs and downed trees in or close to the water as well as rocks provide such a place.

Still Water Habitat

Certain species of aquatic turtle shun moving water when possible, preferring to live in swamps, sloughs, farm ponds, canals, ditches or flooded fields. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation website, the western chicken turtle looks for slow-moving or still waters. The Mississippi mud turtle likes slow water with a soft muddy or sandy bottom, because mud turtles bury themselves in mud or soft sand during the winters and times of extreme heat.

Snapping Turtle Habitat

The common snapping turtle is an aquatic species that you will find in a large assortment of habitats. This turtle lives in ponds, lakes, rivers, streams and swamps. It spends much time in the water, where it hunts for food such as plants, carrion and small fish. The alligator snapping turtle, the world's biggest freshwater type, needs a habitat that has deeper waters than most turtles, including the common snapping turtle. This kind of aquatic turtle lives in the deep pools of large rivers and creeks, where it lives on a diet composed mostly of fish.

Function

The turtles that reside in an aquatic environment have two major physical differences from terrestrial turtles. One is that their feet possess webbing between their toes, allowing the turtle to swim more effectively and helping the turtle to scratch through silt, mud and sand on the bottom of a body of water to find food. Another difference concerns the shape of the aquatic turtle's upper shell, which is usually flatter as opposed to domed, making the turtle more streamlined for an activity like swimming.

Nesting Sites

Despite the fact that they spend much of their lives in watery surroundings, aquatic turtles must lay their eggs on land. The female turtle leaves the water and selects a suitable place to lay her eggs. The best habitat for this important function is sandy or loose soil or soil that drains well. Turtles lay their eggs in such settings and then go back into the water, leaving the hatching of the eggs up to nature, helped by the warmth of the nesting site and aided by the heat of the sun. For this reason, most aquatic turtle nesting sites face south or southeast.

References

• University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences: Florida's Freshwater Turtles
• Missouri Department of Conservation: Missouri's Turtles
• Indiana Turtle Care: Aquatic Turtles