The western pond turtle can be found in marshes, ponds, and small lakes west of the Cascade and Sierra mountains from British Columbia to Baja, California. They are usually omnivorous, feeding on plants and small animals.

Loggerhead turtles spend most of their lives in the sea, but females come ashore to lay eggs. Using her flippers, the loggerhead digs a nest in the sand, where she lays up to 100 eggs before returning to the ocean. Eggs are susceptible to predators, such as crabs, and hatchlings often become confused by lights from human settlement and fail to reach the ocean. Only a few turtles from each nest survive to adulthood.

Painted turtles live in ponds, marshes, and lakes throughout the United States and southern Canada. They survive the winter cold by entering a dormant state resembling hibernation. Newly hatched painted turtles are able to withstand sub-freezing temperatures for several days.

The hawksbill turtle, one of the many endangered sea turtles, has long been hunted for its decorative shell, which is the source of commercial tortoiseshell. Hawksbill turtles live in warm seas around the world and remain close to their nesting areas.