You may want to adopt a turtle. Call the humane society or your local herp society. There is no way this FAQ can describe all species available in the pet trade or in the wild. These are some of the species that are kept more commonly, and that I have experience with. The common green turtle with the red cheeks.
Sliders are native to the United States and common in the South.
There are many related species that can be kept in the same way as red eared sliders, for example Cooters and Chicken turtles. Sliders are mostly carnivorous when young and become more and more vegetarian as they grow older. If they are kept under proper conditions, they make hardy pets. Adult male sliders may have to get separated during breeding season. Females get much bigger than males.