What is the difference between tortoises and turtles?

Answer 1

A tortoise is a land dwelling turtle with high domed shell and columnar, elephant-shaped hind legs. Tortoises go to water only to drink or bathe.
In contrast, the word turtle is used for other turtles: pond turtles, river turtles, box turtles, musk turtles, sea turtles, etc.

So, tortoises form a subgroup that can be distinguished from other groups of turtle but they are "turtles" nonetheless.

Answer 2

Wow- even the person who commented on the other semi-wrong answers got it wrong!

The truth is that the terms are not concrete- they mean different things to different people.

For example, Australians use the term 'tortoise' for some of their pond turtles and semi-randomly for other species.

Most common usages is 'land turtle', which includes several of the US box turtles (but not a rare Mexican species that likes water!) and some other species... sorta.

The scientific usage applies only to members of the Family 'Testudinidae', turtles characterized by a combination of living on land, high domed tough shells (usually- Pancake tortoises are one exception) and most importantly- elephant-like front feet.

The diets of the two groups differ slightly, but not enough to be definitive. It is true that most aquatic turtles are primarily carnivorous (especially when young) and most tortoises are strongly herbivorvous, but there is too much overlap to use this as a definition. Boxies are insectivores, some true tortoises eat as much meat as they can find in nature, etc.

Now, if you ask the average person what a 'tortoise' is, they will say something like 'land turtle'. If pressed, they might know about the Galapagos tortoise, and maybe the Greek tortoise. Kinda sad since there are over 4 dozen tortoise species out of the 300 or so turtle species.



Let's make this REALLY fun and add 'terrapin'!

In the US, a terrapin is either the Diamonback terrapin of the East coast or a turtle used in soups or stews (commonly snappers).

In Europe, 'terrapin' is a semi-aquatic turtle- what Americans call a'pond turtle'- like the Red-ear slider or Painted turtles.

The Box turtle is a fun example of this confusion, just in its name:
- Box TURTLE
- TORTOISE-like lifestyle, sorta
- Scientific name for the Genus is TERRAPENE (terrapin, sorta)

Answer 3

Tortoises are land creatures whereas turtles are amphibiousi.e. they can live in both land and the sea. Turtles have flippers but tortoises do not. The turtle shells are flatter for a more stream-lined body needed in the water whereas tortoises have rounder shells. Hope this helps you.

Answer 4

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. Terrapins are generally water turtles that frequent swampy areas and estuaries.

Answer 5

Tortoises live on land turtles live mostly in water

Answer 6

almost every answer so far has been wrong or misleading... (except one or two) Box turtles are indeed turtles and spend almost there entire life on land and only occasionally go to water so that theory is out the window. One main difference between the two is there diet. tortoises are strictly vegetarian and turtles are herbivores eating mostly insects and only occasional greens..

Answer 7

Tortoises live their whole life on land. And turtles live in or by water and most likely they hatch their young in the sand by water.

Answer 8

The only difference between turtles and tortoises is that tortoises are larger...like 600lbs bigger then a turtle. They both live on land then there are the subspecies that live in the water.

Answer 9

Tortoises live most if not all of their life on land, turtles life most if not all of their life in water.

Answer 10

tortoises live their life on the ground whereas a turtle lives most of its life in water