What's the difference between a tortoise and a turtle?

Answer 1

Turtles have webbed feet while tortoises have nails. There are different species of tortoise and turtles. Both turtles and tortoises live very long. Turtles have flatter backs than tortoises and spend all or most of their lives in water while tortoise only go in ponds or streams to clean them selfs of drink water. Tortoises are mostly herbivores and have claws to dig and burrow with.

Answer 2

Well others here are close. Most turtle are aquatic not all.

OK lets start from scratch...

1. Tortoises are a type of turtle.
2. Tortoises are land turtles similar to box turtles of North America (I do not believe there are any in South America but am not actually sure on that).
3. Tortoises differ from the box turtles in that they can not retract completely into their shell and then close it up, box turtle can.
4. Other turtles (other than the box turtles and various tortoises) are aquatic. Does this help?

Answer 3

A tortoise is only a land turtle but some turtles live in the water (sea turtles) :)

Answer 4

a tortoise legs ussualy form like pedals, so it can swim easily in water. it spend almost all of its live in sea, but taking breathe once awhile to surface and for lay its eggs on seashore.
different from turtle which can put all its leg and head into the karapaks(its home) tortoise can't.
turtles mostly live on land, walking and some swims, too, in swamp or shallow lakes. its feet have nails.

Answer 5

Tortoises stay mainly on land and tutles mainly live in the water. If you want to know more differences, here is a great website http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-a-turtle-and-a-tortoise.htm

Answer 6

Tortoises are landbound and turtles are aquatic, either in a marine environment or lakes and streams.

Answer 7

a tortoise stays on land.
a turtle can go in water or land.

Answer 8

A TURTOISE IS A TURTOISE
AND
A TURTLE IS A TURTLE