MY TOP 5 Cold Tolerant Turtle Species as Pets 

We have huge Northern Red Bellies here In southern New Jersey

My painters and 17 box turtles salute you on your top picks. My 33 common snappers were not happy with your choice and comments from them said something about snapperism and finger lossisms. I gave them a dozen minnows and they were fine.

I guess its time to add a northern red belly to the collection.

Great video! I live in Ontario, Canada. When I was younger, I worked at a science center. At the center, the research was being done to identify glycerin occuring in native turtles, during the dormant state. It was interesting.

I have all my turtles outside all year. I live in south Sweden, winters here are not supercold usally stay above freezing but the winters are long and dark. But I keep turtles that are from northern USA and south Canada and they do very fine here!

I've seen RES basking in ditches at 30 degrees sitting beside sheets of ice, & 31 was the high that day! 🐢

it is good to keep them as natural as possible.

Wood turtles, in my opinion, Eastern Painted and Spotted Turtles are the most cold tolerant. We have Plymouth Red-bellies up where I live so I can understand the Northern Redbelly. Musk Turtles and Box turtles also live here. Great video.

Great info. I keep all my adults outdoors year round. (Red ears, painted, musk, box turtles, Russian torts) we get 6 and half months of cold, I live in one of the highest elevations of PA. Of all my turtles that stay out, the painteds and my adult female European pond turtle are the most cold tolerant. I regularly see them moving under ice, and they bask on sunny days, even with ice on the pond.

I keep reave turtle in North of England. Thanks for doing a video for turtle keepers in the cooler climates. Cheers mate.

Greg with the amazing content once again! Love it man keep it up!

Keep up the awesome videos 🙂

Love channel new but big fan red ear sliders always my pick #1 but love all turtles love the content always learning new ways 👍

Thank you for another great video this really helps me narrow down the choices, I think I gotta go musk or paint tbh, they should be the best for the conditions, keep up the great work!!!

Great video! I live in Central NJ, and I regularly see all 5 of these turtles in my local park (which includes a lake, stream, bog and plenty of woods). The Eastern Painted turtles are the most common. I have photographed and logged about 30 different individual box turtles over the last several years, many of which I’ve seen year after year deep in the woods. In addition to these 5, I’ve also see many common snapping turtles and a few red-eared sliders (non-native to the area.) I MAY have seen, from a distance, a basking wood turtle, but I can’t confirm because it was a quick look and it may have been a red-belly.

Northern red bellied are stunning. Up here in Delaware they're abundant in mill ponds, streams, and often occupy brackish creeks and marshes

Lovely video with valuable info on the 5 cold tolerant turtles. Are red eared sliders ever able to handle cold weather (brunate) if they have always been kept indoors during winter months? Would they ever able to aclimate from being in captivity year round to winter brunation if unforseen circumstances arise? Is there a list of turtles that should not be kept outside during the winter? Thank you for sharing this info.

The loggerhead looks so cool!😘

ty for the video, my state allows the northern red belly or painted turtle so I'm gonna consider them!

Greg, do you have any interest in giving a turtle/tortoise tour at your place? My kids begged me to ask since we're right over the Al/ga line.

I have a large pond an we have painted an musk turtles in Michigan

Hey man I actually have found the eastern paited turtle on warmer winter days swimming around like it's nothing ,here in pa!! Cold champs for sure!!

Thank you for all the information you provide in every one of your videos. I love your videos. I’m planning on doing a setup in a 55 gallon tank filled, fluval fx4 with a out of water basking location. Will the fluval fx4 be to much flow for a male map turtle in a 55 gallon tank? Any recommendations you could make would be greatly appreciated.

So versaturtle!

awesome!!!!

Virginia recently passed new laws forbidding any native species--it makes sense from a poaching standpoint but, for some reason, they don't make allowances for captive bred... doesn't leave many North American options here other than the Blandings. I'm not sure about the legality of sub-species--for example I was told they don't allow ANY kind of Diamondback Terrapins with the only native being the Northern. The law is in good spirit with conservation but makes it very difficult on the hobbyist that prefer large, natural outdoor habitats rather than aquariums.

Greg, Love the channel! I live in SE Missouri. Winter temps get well below freezing. Can razorback or three stripe musk turtles be kept outdoors in a stock tank if it is that cold? Are they as cold tolerant as the stink pot? Thanks! Matt

Excited to have my eastern painted turtles outside for this year. At what temps do you generally stop feeding your turtles at before the winter hits?

Would like to hear about frost lines for us Northerners. None of my ponds are 3ft deep so I have to bring everyone in right?

I think of all the turtles in this video, mine are probably the bix turtles. Also snapping turtles and sliders are also cold tolerant right?

Do you think I could keep mud turtles outside year round in Oregon where I live we get hot summers 115 tops and cold winters but not too many freezes?

Is that a Clemmys Guttata you showed? The spotted

Which one do you think would be best for indoors in the San Francisco area? It gets a little cold for a week or two out of the year. Preferably something small so I can easily change the water every couple days and scrub the whole thing.

thank you so much! i once had a friend bring over a baby snapping turtle he found in the creek we kept it for a day or so then released it! have also almost been bitten by a big snapping turtle i thought was a stone that i picked up while looking for crayfish! great video just thought id let you know that i thoroughly enjoyed the video!

Great video!. Would western painted turtles fall into that same category for Cold tolerant as eastern? I was going to keep mine in a dug in, 150 gallon stock tank outside. On Long Island.

This is my first year to have my largest cooters stay outside 🤞🏻🐢

Greg amazing video bro u didn't mentioned about red ears they also can survive winters easily outside and one thing more I love this pond of yours more than aquascaped one Because it has plenty of space for turtles to swim And buddy I want to ask u something Like what if we create hides for turtles to overwinter A cave sort of thing any recommendations ??¿?

If I were to get a common snapper as a pet in Wisconsin, would it be a terrible idea? I'd hate to freeze the thing

Any of this good for arizona heat? Trying to make an outdoor pond but it gets to 115 degrees in the summer I might run a shade on top of the pond

i have a tub with 2 sliders and a painted turtle, whats a good natural way to help them through the winter? would peat moss help?

Can you keep the eastern painted or red eared slider in a stock tank all year as long as there is aeration? Michigan winter.

hi my maurevis reevesi are outside and this year im gonna let them hibernate how do they tolerate cold?

nice video, hi from indonesian

I know you are close to my region of 7a, what is the tropical plant palm you have growing. The elephant ears should freeze but due to the size the palm must not?

American reptile distributor has good selections of turtles and tortoises.

I know this is old video but I have a female red ear slider about 20 years old I’ve had her for almost 2 years now, she was kept in a tiny aquarium basically abused but she’s good now. Would I be able to put her outside all year round being she’s never been outside ? Thanks man

Yeaaahhh!! 😃😃😃

How about a common snapping turtle? What is thier cold tolerance like?

Anyone know where I can get a CB musk turtles?

I use have a little painted tutrle I name turte . I kept her till I couldn't keep her. she was in a ten gallon. and I felt she needed to be in a pound. How can you tell a female from a male pinted tyrle. they told me by the feet . if feet are big then its a female.. can you keep a painted turtle in ten gallon?

Do you know what it could mean if my box turtle stops using its hind leg?

Hey Greg! a question does western painted turtles tolerate heat well? I'm having the worse time to maintain a cold temperature and water temps in her aquarium maintains 28C all day unless i turn on the AC at night. During the day it could reach more than 28 all i can do is put frozen water bottles, but that temp drop lasted like 1 hour or so. would appreciate your reply! I live in Asia btw.

Hey man i am new to your channel i love it but i have a question for you. I have 1 adult eastern painted turtle which is living in my aquascape ecosystem pond and i am getting 2 little hatchings this week. How long should i wait for the babies to age before i let them outside to live in the ecosystem pond?? Cant find much info on this sorry for the long question

I’m actually currently looking for a box turtle if anyone knows of a good place

No Blanding's or Wood turtles 😭 Lol. P. rubriventris can handle coastal cold just dandy, but real turtles measure their ice cover in feet 🥶

Do you keep them all in the same habitat behind you?

Then how we house those cold intolerant tortoise or turtle. How do you house your red food and yellow foot tortoise

Loved the video! But can we get the scientific names? It's easier that way to get more info, thank you!

Which turtle basks the most?

I am also in Georgia. What turtles am I legally allowed to have? I figured if it is native here, it wouldn't be a problem to keep it as a pet...but now I am second guessing that lol

What about mud turtles, how do they do?

Who's got a captive box turtle connection? Leave me some tips

Hi Greg my name is Mikael Thomas I live in San Diego my hole life I'm 57 years old and I have had turtles my hole life when I was born my parents lived with my Grandparents and they had a California desert Tortis then my parents got a house that had 2 triangle ponds the front pond was bigger the backyard was 3 or 4 foot triangle it water hyacinth packed completely and small frogs lived breded in it I was 3 in 1968 the front pond my Dad started my life with water turtles he put all different turtles and newts gold fish . 1970 we moved to Santee in San Diego my Granpa made a pond the shape of 8 the shallow end had rock waterfall . The deep end was the drain to fall . All the turtles from old house to new house some where tropical Dad covered pond in winter with heat lights. I named them all the biggest was Salty painted turtle he was the meanest hissed real loud scratch the heck out of me and snapped very aggressive later found out Salty was a girl next was Bully a reeves he did not bite. Next was Lether he was a type of wood turtle his eyes were black he was very docile the nicest . Next was California a pacific pond turtle he was really neat. Next was Jumbo he looked like a side neck but his neck was not long I think he was tropical my dad only covered the pond with heat lights 2 or 3 winters Jombo did not make it after that and I buried him I was pretty young maybe 7 then did not know what bread or gender then till much later . Had got baby red ear for 10th birthday named Topsy all others came from triangle Pond from LA Masa house. Over the years the comet gold fish got nice sized. Mid 80,s some of the reached age and went to Heaven I asked to resurrect the ones I named they out live dogs so I was very attached to them and made grave stones and engraved names and dates of deaths. I'm 57 now born 12-16-65 I still have turtles 2 desert Tortis Tik and Tack and 75 gallon stock tank with gold fish and small red ear. And my beautiful daughter Bree has a beautiful baby Leppard Tortis and it don't hibernate anyways BREE named him or her French Fry .l fricken love you not literally and need your videos I never leave San Diego and love to walk up stream with you all the different states it's healthy meditation for to my sole and will help me live longer my Daughter is only 9 had her at 48 Now 57 must live a long time to keep her safe in this more difficult World your spiritually healthy shows increases my life Thank you.

And I love musk turtles but unfortunately those are not available in. India .,...

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Good video but i think the reeves should of been in it even if most bring them in they move under the ice in the winter in china and even come out to lay on snow

I live in New York and was told that Russian tortoises can survive our winters. Is that true?

Worst time of the year for turtle lovers