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What is the difference between a turtle and a tortoise? |
by Mya Kagan (whyzz writer) >> more about the author
When you look at a turtle and you look at a tortoise, you probably notice a whole lot in common! – So why the two different names??
The difference between a turtle and a tortoise depends a little upon who you’re asking! Scientifically, both turtles and tortoises belong to the same scientific order of reptiles, giving them a lot of automatic similarities (egg-laying, cold-blooded). But when we use the common names of “turtle” and “tortoise,” there are a few basic differences that usually go with each title.
One has to do with where they live – tortoises tend to live on land and sometimes visit the water, while turtles do the opposite, mostly living in the water and sometimes visiting the land. Because of this, their feet are also different: turtles have fin-like or webbed feet to help them with swimming, while tortoises do not! A tortoise is also usually bulkier and bigger than a turtle, because it doesn’t have to worry about being flat and streamlined like a turtle for fast swimming!
In spite of these technical differences, lots of people interchange the names of these two animals regionally. In certain places an animal that scientifically would quite surely be a turtle might be referred to as a tortoise, simply because that’s the term those people have adapted!
Turtle & Tortoise Traits!
The difference between a turtle and a tortoise depends a little upon who you’re asking! Scientifically, both turtles and tortoises belong to the same scientific order of reptiles, giving them a lot of automatic similarities (egg-laying, cold-blooded). But when we use the common names of “turtle” and “tortoise,” there are a few basic differences that usually go with each title.
One has to do with where they live – tortoises tend to live on land and sometimes visit the water, while turtles do the opposite, mostly living in the water and sometimes visiting the land. Because of this, their feet are also different: turtles have fin-like or webbed feet to help them with swimming, while tortoises do not! A tortoise is also usually bulkier and bigger than a turtle, because it doesn’t have to worry about being flat and streamlined like a turtle for fast swimming!
In spite of these technical differences, lots of people interchange the names of these two animals regionally. In certain places an animal that scientifically would quite surely be a turtle might be referred to as a tortoise, simply because that’s the term those people have adapted!
Turtle & Tortoise Traits!
Have a grown-up help you find some pictures of turtles and tortoises in an encyclopedia or on the Internet. Look closely at the two pictures and compare what you see!
Can you see the differences in their feet and their shells? Are the pictures of turtles mostly shown in water while the pictures of tortoises are mostly on land? – Aside from these distinctions, what other different features can you observe? Think about things like the shape of their heads or tails, the colors of each animal, and their size!
