Reptile & Amphibian Forums

are there any types of turtles that would be happy and thrive in an indoor enclosure?

Almost any of them... as long as you're willing to have a big enough enclosure sitting in your house . I wouldn't get anything with a max size over 10 inches if you want to keep in in a commercially built aquarium. For larger things you can buy giant tubs (eg 300 gallons) if your floorboards can support them.
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"The serpent crams itself with animal life that is often warm and vibrant, to prolong an existence in which we detect no joy and no emotion. It reveals the depth to which evolution can sink when it takes the downward path and strips animals to the irreducible minimum able to perpetuate a predatory life in its naked horror."
Alexander Skutch

There are a great many species kept full time in indoor enclosures. For specific recommendations, what type and how large a set-up are you contemplating and what general type of turtle are you interested in, i.e. aquatic, partialy aquatic, terestrial, large, small, colorful, interesting personality, weird appearance, low cost etc.?

You should decide first whther you want to keep something that spends most of its time in water
most of land
or some of each.

Generally land turtles and the half and halfs (called semi-terrestirals) require more space than those which spend most of the time in the water. But many people keep water turtles in tanks or tubs that re too small so you may not want to go by what you have seen.

In general, the smallest size commercially available aquarium that will adequately house an adult is about 40 US gallons and this is only for the smallest species. tuirtles that grow to 6 inches or beyond will usually require at least a 100 gallon aquarium. When choosing turtle enclosures its usually surface are not depth that figures most prominently. So once you know what you are doing, get the widest longest tank/tub/box that you can afford and fit into yourt space.

Here's a good place to start if you are thinking about a new turtle friend to keep indoors.

Choosing your First Turtle at ATP/TurtleForum

Many many people here at kingsnake and at the above mentioned forum/website keep turtles indoors.

As one who has kept about 154 species and subspecies of turtle, I would make the following very brief comments on the article: Painted turtles are not as hardy as suggested here, although I don't know exactly why. Cooters and sliders have always outlived them in my collection. Red-eared sliders (and closely related subspecies) are readily available and quite hardy, but are surprisingly aggressive to others in a community tank. Wood turtles are indeed personable, but are vastly overrated for this characteristic. Many other species are just as interactive and "intelligent" as the Wood Turtle. The Striped Mud turtle is indeed a winner for a small first turtle. It is readily available, cheap and very hardy. In my personal experience, the small muds are a bit more personable and hardy than the small musk turtles. The Mexican GIANT musk turtles (Staurotypus) are both hardy and personable (and aggressive), but that's another story. The larger Central American Mud turtles of the Kinosternon scorpoides complex of subspecies are very hardy and personable pets and not too aggressive. Common snappers are large, risky and aggressive, but they make good captives and are easy to maintain.

Well i am not up to 154 species yet but i 'm getting there : )

I didn't write this article and i don't agree with all of it
as you say:
Painted turtles do not fare as well as their popularity would seem to imply. Their shorter lifespan however has precednt: its generally thought i believe, that Pseudemys live longer in the wild than Chysemys.

Yes RES tear the hell out of everything they really don;t make good community turtles but then i think most enlightened keepers are against community tanks anyway.

The author doesn't know much about wood turtles which are WAAAY better pets than box tutles (if we are talking Glyptemys and Terrapene) box turtles make poor first turtle pets i think. Wood turtles are much easier to taek care of.

I disagree about the personable nature of woodies; i think the rep is well deserved.

I think this artiocle is well thought-out and does help many a newbie. That's why i posted it. i first read it and had all sorts of complaints myslef. But then i realized, well, "you" didn't write one. Its a good start.

I guess small would be the biggest consideration so that I could be sure to give the turtle adequate space. I would prefer a non aquatic species, personality is always a plus. And I'd prefer something that could handle temperature fluctuations, definitely no tropical species

Things i would consider as relatively hardy, accessible, small and temperate-climate natives;
Stinkpot (Sternotherus odoratus)
Eastern mud turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)
Reeve's Turtle (Chinemys reevesi)
Spottted turtle (Clemmys gutatta)