Britannica Sources used in this answer

Where do turtles live around the world?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Illustrations of ten representative chelonians, including spiny softshell turtle, Galapagos giant tortoise, green turtle, alligator snapping turtle, Blanding's turtle, common map turtle, eastern box turtle, eastern painted turtle, spotted turtle, and eastern mud turtle, each labeled with its common and scientific name. A scale bar at the bottom shows size comparison. — turtle Turtles (order Testudines).

Turtles are a diverse group of reptiles found on every continent except Antarctica. While they are broadly distributed across the globe, the highest concentration of species occurs in southeastern North America and South Asia.12

Turtles have adapted to a wide range of environments, including both salt water and fresh water, as well as terrestrial habitats. Their specific living conditions vary significantly by species:1

Aquatic Habitats: Many species live in bodies of water ranging from small ponds, bogs, and rice paddies to large lakes, rivers, and coastal estuaries.2
Terrestrial Habitats: Tortoises are exclusively land-dwelling, inhabiting environments that range from deserts to wet tropical forests.23
Marine Habitats: Sea turtles spend the majority of their lives in offshore coastal waters, returning to land primarily to lay eggs.23

Because each species has a preferred habitat, they are rarely found outside their specific environmental niches.2