Turtles: Order Testudines

The order Testudines represent the turtles, tortoises and sea turtles.  There are about 300 species of turtle alive today. 

Classification

The following is a brief overview of the living taxa in the order. 

• Family Chelydridae - Snapping Turtles
• Family Thalassemyidae
• Family Cheloniidae - Green Sea Turtles and Relatives
• Family Dermochelyidae - Leatherback Turtles
• Family Platysternidae - Big-Headed Turtles
• Family Emydidae - Pond, Box and Water Turtles
• Family Geoemydidae - Asian River Turtles, Asian Leaf Turtles, Asian Box Turtles and Roofed Turtles
• Family Testudinidae - Tortoises
• Family Carettochelyidae - Pignose Turtles
• Family Dermatemydidae - River Turtles
• Family Kinosternidae - Mud Turtles
• Family Trionychidae - Softshell Turtles
• Family Chelidae - Austro-American Sideneck Turtles
• Family Pelomedusidae - African sideneck Turtles
• Family Podocnemididae - Madagascan Big-headed and American Sideneck River Turtles