Whats the difference between a Turtle and a Tortoise?
A tortoise is a turtle, but not all turtles are tortoises, at least in current usage. Tortoises are generally turtles with high domed shells and elephantine legs. Totally terrestrial, they do not swim well and are likely to drown in deep water. Water turtles are turtles with generally flattened, generally circular shells and webbed, flipper-feet for swimming. Some water turtles never leave that element. To further differentiate: Turtle Spends most of its life in the water. Turtles tend to have webbed feet for swimming. Sea turtles (Cheloniidae family) are especially adapted for an aquatic life, with long feet that form flippers and a streamlined body shape. They rarely leave the ocean, except when the females come ashore to lay their eggs. Other turtles live in fresh water, like ponds and lakes. They swim, but they also climb out onto banks, logs, or rocks to bask in the sun.
Turtles and Tortoise belong to the same family called Testudines. However, the Tortoise is a member who is well adpated to living on land only approaching water to drink or bathe. They have a larger domed shell and thicker/more stocky legs than the Turtle. Turtles generally have smaller legs and spend a lot of time swimming in water as well as being able to venture onto land. Their shell is much flatter than that of the Tortoise, making it more streamlined for swimming.
Tortoises live on land. They usually have high, domed shells (though there are exceptions, like the pancake tortoise). They have thick, pillar-like legs to support their weight, and feet with stumpy claws. Here is an image of a leopard tortoise: http://www.mccullagh.org/db9/10d-17/leop… Turtles live in the ocean. They have low, flattened shells to make their shape more hydrodynamic. They have flippers instead of legs, the front pair of which are the largest and are used to propel them through the water. These cannot support their weight on land – when females come ashore to lay their eggs, they must drag themselves along with their front flippers (males normally do not come ashore). Here is an image of an olive ridley turtle: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/images/turtl…
Oikos, as usual, is not only right, but was the only person so far to get close. Chelonian is a fancy name for all animals we call turtles, terrapins, or tortoises. Most of the world uses the term ‘turtle’ for most of these animals- although some places use tortoise or terrapin per local custom- Australians, for example, call a lot of aquatic turtles ‘tortoises’. Technically and scientifically, the term ‘tortoise’ is reserved for the ‘true tortoises’, members of the family Testudinidae. True tortoises live on land, rarely enter the water, have elephant-like hind feet, and have either no or very short toes on all feet. ‘Turtles’ can live in sea water, fresh water, marshes, or even on dry land or deserts. They have the shell, and either flippers or ‘turtle-like legs. Most turtles must eat and mate in the water- but not Box Turtles and a few other kinds. Box Turtles tend to mess up the rules.
