How Much Do Turtles Weigh? [Different Species]

Ever picked up a turtle and thought, “Damn, this thing weighs way more than it looks”?

Or maybe you’ve seen photos of those monster sea turtles and wondered how something that lives underwater can weigh as much as a small car.

Turtle weights are all over the map—literally from less than a quarter-pound to over a ton. And honestly? The range is kind of insane.

Let me break down exactly what these shelled creatures weigh, from the tiniest bog turtle (yes, it’s actually called that) to the absolute units cruising around in the ocean.

Quick Reference Table: Turtle Weights by Species

Turtle Species	Average Weight	Length
Bog Turtle	3.9 oz (110 g)	3-4.5 inches
Red-Eared Slider (Male)	8.5 oz – 2 lbs	5-9 inches
Red-Eared Slider (Female)	3-7 lbs	8-11 inches
Painted Turtle (Male)	11 oz (300 g)	3-6 inches
Painted Turtle (Female)	18 oz (500 g)	4-10 inches
Box Turtle	1-2 lbs	4-6 inches
Common Snapping Turtle	9-35 lbs	8-14 inches
Alligator Snapping Turtle (Male)	155-200+ lbs	26-31 inches
Alligator Snapping Turtle (Female)	~50 lbs	~22 inches
African Spurred Tortoise	90-100 lbs	Large
Aldabra Giant Tortoise	350-550 lbs	Very large
Galápagos Giant Tortoise	~880 lbs	Over 4 feet
Speckled Tortoise	0.35 lbs	Tiny
Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle	80-100 lbs	~2 feet
Olive Ridley Sea Turtle	70-100 lbs	~2 feet
Loggerhead Sea Turtle	298 lbs (avg)	35 inches
Green Sea Turtle	372 lbs (avg)	Variable
Hawksbill Sea Turtle	~280 lbs	Medium
Flatback Sea Turtle	154 lbs	Medium
Leatherback Sea Turtle	550-1,540 lbs	6-7+ feet

The Smallest Turtle: Bog Turtle

Let’s start with the adorable underdog.

The bog turtle is North America’s smallest turtle, and it weighs about 3.9 ounces (110 grams)—that’s less than a baseball.

These little guys max out at around 4.5 inches long. You could literally hold one in the palm of your hand and forget it’s there.

They’re so small that people illegally poach them for the pet trade, which is awful because they’re already critically endangered. The IUCN lists them at the same threat level as black rhinos, which tells you everything you need to know about how screwed they are without conservation efforts.

Got questions about Life Facts + Turtle Anatomy & Physical Traits? This post has the basics, turtle-style. How Long Do Sea Turtles Actually Live? (Spoiler: Way Longer Than Your Last Phone)

Common Pet Turtles: What You’re Actually Signing Up For

Red-Eared Sliders

These are the classic pet store turtles with the red stripes behind their “ears.”

Males typically weigh 8.5 ounces to 2 pounds and grow 5-9 inches long. Females? They’re the big sisters of the family, weighing 3-7 pounds and stretching 8-11 inches.

And here’s the kicker—some large females can hit 7 pounds. That’s not a tiny turtle you can keep in a fishbowl (please don’t ever do that anyway).

These guys need at least a 50-gallon tank as adults. If you bought your kid a “cute little turtle” without researching first, surprise! You now need furniture-sized equipment.

Painted Turtles

Painted turtles are slightly heavier than red-eared sliders, which surprises most people.

Males weigh around 11 ounces (300 grams), while females clock in at about 18 ounces (500 grams)—over a pound.

Length-wise, males reach 3-6 inches and females hit 4-10 inches. They’re stockier and rounder than sliders.

The extra weight in females helps support egg production during breeding season. Nature basically said “you’re making babies, here’s some extra bulk for structural support.”

Box Turtles

Box turtles are land-loving buddies that weigh 1-2 pounds on average.

They’re compact at 4-6 inches long, depending on the species. Three-toed box turtles are on the smaller end, while eastern box turtles can be slightly bigger.

These guys live 20-30 years easily, so if you’re getting one, you’re basically committing to a pet that might outlive your college years, your twenties, and possibly your first marriage.

Freshwater Turtles: The Middle-Weight Champions

Common Snapping Turtle

These prehistoric-looking tanks weigh 9-35 pounds depending on age and size.

They’re not trying to be your friend. They’re trying to survive with a bite force that can crush bones.

Adult snappers reach about 8-14 inches in shell length, but that tail adds serious length and weight to their overall bulk.

Alligator Snapping Turtle

Now we’re talking serious business.

This is the largest freshwater turtle in North America. Males average 155-175 pounds with some exceptional specimens hitting 200+ pounds.

One legendary turtle caught in Kansas allegedly weighed 400 pounds, though there’s debate about that claim. Still, the confirmed record is 251 pounds—that’s a whole-ass human being in turtle form.

Females are much smaller at around 50 pounds, but even that is hefty for a turtle.

These guys have spiky shells, massive heads, and a tongue that looks like a worm to lure fish. They’re basically the final boss of freshwater turtles.

Trying to get a handle on Life Facts + Turtle Anatomy & Physical Traits? This page has all you need to know. Wild Turtles Outsmart Predators in Ways You’d Never Expect

Tortoises: The Land Giants

African Spurred Tortoise

These guys weigh 90-100 pounds (42-45 kg) and are one of the largest tortoise species.

They’re sometimes called sulcata tortoises, and they’re popular pets—until people realize they need a backyard, not a terrarium.

Aldabra Giant Tortoise

One of the largest tortoise species in the world.

Males weigh around 550 pounds (250 kg), while females are lighter at about 350 pounds (159 kg).

These tortoises can live over 100 years. One individual reportedly lived to 255 years old, which is absolutely bonkers.

Galápagos Giant Tortoise

The Galápagos giant tortoise weighs around 880 pounds (400 kg) and can reach over 4 feet long.

These are the famous tortoises that Darwin studied. They’re keystone species in their ecosystem, which means the islands would fall apart ecologically without them.

Speckled Tortoise (Speckled Cape Tortoise)

On the opposite end, this is one of the smallest tortoises, weighing just 0.35 pounds (95-160 grams).

Basically the tortoise equivalent of a snack-sized candy bar.

Sea Turtles: The Heavyweight Division

Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle

The smallest sea turtle species weighs 80-100 pounds (36-45 kg) and measures about 2 feet in shell length.

They’re also the most endangered sea turtle species, which is heartbreaking because they’re already the runts of the sea turtle family.

Olive Ridley Sea Turtle

Similar in size to Kemp’s Ridley, weighing around 70-100 pounds (25-50 kg).

They nest in massive groups called arribadas, where thousands of turtles come ashore at once. It’s one of the coolest wildlife spectacles on the planet.

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

These guys weigh 298 pounds (135 kg) on average, with a range of 170-440 pounds (77-200 kg).

The largest confirmed loggerhead weighed 1,202 pounds (545 kg), though that’s exceptionally rare.

They’re the second-largest hard-shelled sea turtle, and they have barnacles and algae living on their backs like mobile ecosystems.

Green Sea Turtle

Green sea turtles weigh around 372 pounds (160 kg) on average, but they can range from 100-500 pounds.

Despite the name, they’re not green—their fat is greenish because of their herbivorous diet of seagrass and algae.

Nesting females can weigh 45-250 kg (100-550 pounds) after laying eggs. That’s a huge weight range depending on the individual.

Want to understand Body Parts + Turtle Anatomy & Physical Traits better? Here’s a breakdown that makes sense. Turtle Anatomy 101: Do Turtles Have Teeth, Ears, Tails & More?

Hawksbill Sea Turtle

These turtles weigh around 280 pounds (127 kg) on average.

They have beautiful, multicolored shells that made them targets for the illegal tortoiseshell trade. Thankfully, that trade is now banned in most countries.

Flatback Sea Turtle

Endemic to Australia, flatbacks weigh around 154 pounds (70 kg) on average.

They have the smallest geographic range of all sea turtles and rarely venture far from Australian waters.

Leatherback Sea Turtle: The Absolute Unit

This is the largest living turtle species and the heaviest non-crocodilian reptile.

Leatherbacks weigh 250-700 kg (550-1,540 pounds) on average. That’s over half a ton.

The largest confirmed leatherback weighed 650 kg (1,433 pounds) and measured 213 cm (about 7 feet) in curved carapace length.

They don’t have a hard shell like other sea turtles—instead, they have thick, leathery skin (hence the name). This allows them to dive deeper than any other turtle, reaching depths over 4,000 feet.

Leatherbacks eat almost entirely jellyfish. Imagine needing to eat hundreds of jellyfish a day just to maintain a 1,000+ pound body. Their life is basically an endless buffet.

Why Females Weigh More in Most Species

You’ve probably noticed a pattern—female turtles are usually bigger and heavier than males.

There’s a simple reason: eggs.

Female turtles need extra body mass to support egg production. They’re carrying around clutches that can contain anywhere from 3 to 200 eggs depending on the species.

Males, on the other hand, don’t need that extra bulk. In fact, smaller males often have advantages during mating because they’re more agile.

Some species flip this script though. In razorback musk turtles, males are actually larger than females. But that’s the exception, not the rule.

Factors That Affect Turtle Weight

Not all turtles of the same species weigh the same.

• Diet plays a huge role. A well-fed captive turtle can grow larger than a wild turtle struggling to find food. But a captive turtle in a tiny, dirty tank with poor nutrition will be stunted.
• Habitat size matters too. Turtles in larger enclosures grow bigger than those in cramped spaces. It’s like trying to grow a tree in a pot versus planting it in the ground.
• Gender is obviously huge, as we just covered.
• Age matters until they reach full maturity (usually 5-6 years for smaller species, decades for giant tortoises).
• Health is critical. Parasites, disease, and poor water quality will all stunt growth and reduce weight.

Wondering what Breathing + Turtle Anatomy & Physical Traits is all about? Here’s what every turtle fan should know. Do Turtles Actually Breathe Through Their Butts?

Why Turtle Weight Monitoring Matters

If you have a pet turtle, you should absolutely track their weight.

Sudden weight loss can indicate illness, parasites, or poor diet. Rapid weight gain might mean overfeeding or organ issues.

Breeders monitor weight obsessively because it affects egg production and overall health.

In the wild, conservation biologists track turtle weights to monitor population health. If turtles in a specific area are underweight, it might signal environmental problems like pollution or food scarcity.

The Crazy Weight Range

Let’s put this in perspective.

The smallest turtle (bog turtle) weighs 0.24 pounds.

The largest turtle (leatherback) can weigh over 2,000 pounds.

That’s a weight difference of over 8,000 times. Imagine if the same species produced animals ranging from the size of a hamster to the size of a car.

Evolution is wild.

Final Thoughts

Turtle weights tell you way more than just how heavy they are.

They tell you about survival strategies, reproductive demands, and the insane diversity within a single order of reptiles.

From pocket-sized bog turtles to half-ton leatherbacks, these animals have been around for over 200 million years, and they’ve figured out how to thrive in almost every aquatic environment on Earth.

If you’re thinking about getting a turtle, do your homework first. That cute hatchling might turn into a 7-pound monster that needs a 100-gallon tank and lives for 40 years.

And if you see turtles in the wild? Leave them alone. They’re doing fine without your “help,” and many species are already in trouble from habitat loss and illegal collection.

These ancient creatures deserve our respect—and maybe a little awe at the sheer range of sizes they’ve managed to evolve.