what are the major differences between a sea turtle and a tortoise, is it just a mater of of English.?

Question

i know of the extremities of tortoises can be retracted, and that at some point the cotylosaurs genera split, hence the tortoise. every search i have tried so far keeps telling me "it's a mater of where you live as to how you use the term turtle or tortoise. in england we divide them into two diffrent species, yet in america they use the same term for both species.

Answer 1

According to Merriam Webster:

Turtles: any of an order (Testudines syn. Chelonia) of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine reptiles that have a toothless horny beak and a shell of bony dermal plates usually covered with horny shields enclosing the trunk and into which the head, limbs, and tail usually may be withdrawn

Tortoise: any of a family (Testudinidae) of terrestrial turtles; broadly : TURTLE

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Since an order is of a higher taxonomic hierarchy than a family (an order includes several families), that would mean that all tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises.

And according to the article on wiseGeek,

Quote:
"A turtle lives in freshwater, the ocean, or brackish ponds and marshland. Its front feet might be fins or merely webbed toes with streamlined back feet that help it to swim. A turtle has a flatter back than a tortoise. It might spend all or part of its life underwater. They mate and lay eggs underwater or on the shore. Some turtles sun themselves on logs, rocks, or sandy banks. During cold weather, they burrow in mud and go into torpor, a state similar to hibernation. Sea turtles migrate great distances. They are more often omnivorous, eating plants, insects, and fish.

A tortoise lives entirely above water, only wading into streams to clean itself or take a drink. In fact, it could drown in deep or swift current. Its feet are hard, scaly, and nubby so it can crawl across sharp rocks and sand. A tortoise may even have claws to dig burrows. Burrows are occupied during hot, sunny weather or during sleep. A tortoise is mostly herbivorous, eating cactus, shrubs, and other plants that have a lot of moisture. They rarely migrate. Their shell forms a rounded dome, allowing the tortoise's limbs and head to withdraw for protection."
Unquote

Answer 2

The names turtle, tortoise, and terrapin are all commonly used here. Some people refer to tortoises as ones that live only on land. Others use both tortoise and turtle for the fresh-water kinds. Terrapin is a loose term for certain American fresh-water turtles, especially those that are eaten my man. It is correct to say that all these reptiles are turtles.

Answer 3

The turtle lives in the sea, has paddles instead of stubby legs and lays its eggs on the beach. Its face is also sharper.

The tortoise lives on land, can't swim and has stubby legs.

Answer 4

turtles live in the sea and tortoises live on land. turtles barely ever go on to land... just to lay eggs. tortoises only go in the water to cool off or they have to.

i live in the us and this is what they mean.

Answer 5

tortoise=land
turtle=water

Answer 6

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Answer 7

sea turtle = aquatic...marine...flippers

tortoise = terrestrial...feet

Answer 8

We have another spell check violation here.