Tortoise or turtle?
_01.jpg)
This is an endangered species and one of the most illegally traded in the world.
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Denise published a lovely post today about rescuing a turtle. It brought to mind again a question which often puzzles me, as so many people refer to all such hard-shelled animals as turtles. What is the difference between a tortoise and a turtle?
In my simple mind, I surmised that a tortoise is a land animal, and a turtle is an amphibious creature, at home on land or in water, but mostly in water. I turned to the purveyor of all knowledge and discovered the following.
Turtles are found all over the world, apart from Antarctica, while tortoises originate in warmer climates. There are no native tortoises in Australasia.
Tortoises only live on land and cannot live in water. They go to water to drink, but cannot swim or hold their breath for more than a few minutes, so quickly drown if immersed in water. They are also herbivorous, while turtles are omnivorous. Naturally, there are exceptions, and some tortoises have been observed eating birds.
Turtles shed their shells, but tortoises don’t. A tortoise shell grows constantly, providing further protection, and is more dome-shaped than most turtles’ shells.
Turtles can live for up to fifty years, but tortoises have a much longer life expectancy. Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise, is about 193 years old and is the oldest living land animal. He lives on the island of St Helena.
Just to confuse matters, all tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises. They all have hard shells and belong to the Chelonia family. The major way to distinguish tortoises and turtles is to look at their feet. Turtles have webbed feet or flippers, and cross land by dragging themselves instead of stepping. Tortoises have elephantine legs, ending in thick claws, which they use for digging and traversing rough ground.
These reptiles have extremely small brains, but can learn from experience, and recognise people and places known to them.
.JPG)
Great post! We have been seeing lots of turtles (the water ones lol) including Snapping Turtles which can be pretty big. They are out of the water laying eggs which (seem to) get eaten by raccoons and the like.
ReplyDeleteWe see terrapins which have been released by thoughtless owners into lakes. They play havoc with the native wildlife.
DeleteThis explains things easily. We don't have turtles or tortoises here which is in Alberta, Canada between Edmonton and Calgary.
ReplyDeleteI suppose it's too cold?
DeleteWe have turtles a-plenty here, and I have to tell you Jabblog, I never realized they shed their shells! I had a good read about that. The things that I learn from blogs!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many people come across cast-off shells. Probably not very many.
DeleteTortoise or turtle?
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed how you combined personal reflection with fascinating facts.
The distinctions between tortoises and turtles were clearly explained, and the bit about Jonathan the 193-year-old tortoise was especially impressive.
A thoughtful, informative read!
Nice blog post my friend
Thank you, Asep.
DeleteYou have reminded me that once upon a time there was an English lady blogger who had tortoises. I can’t recall her name. I am not sure if I have ever seen a tortoise in real life but I do see turtles on occasion.
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine had a tortoise. It bit her toe one day!
DeleteI have seen turtles in marine aquariums and tortoises at the zoo, so mostly I knew the differences, but I didn't know that turtles shed their shells while tortoises don't.
ReplyDeleteI've never been inclined to keep any sort of reptile. I don't think they're very attractive.
DeleteWe had a pet tortoise many years ago. He lived in our back garden for several years but then mysteriously disappeared. I don't like to think about what may have become of him 😪
ReplyDeleteHe could have suffered the fate of Victor Meldrew's tortoise.
DeleteDid you enjoy keeping your tortoise, JayCee?
DeleteI understand your concerns about his fate. My parents lived next door to someone who found a tortoise in his garden. He was a fanatical gardener and was going to put the poor creature in the bin, to be collected with the rest of the refuse. My father persuaded him not to.
Andrew: I don't believe it!!
DeleteJanice: Poor thing!!!!
DeleteAnother interesting post, both animals are beautiful, I have seen both, we has a tortoise as a child.
ReplyDeletePerhaps if I'd had a pet tortoise I would have felt differently about them. I imagine the hibernation was tricky - or at least, the awakening from hibernation.
DeleteThank you. I did learn the difference some years ago after being often confused by which is which.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that my instincts were largely correct! (Makes a nice change.)
DeleteIt's amazing how much complexity lies beneath those humble shells, and I love how you clarified the differences so clearly between turtles and tortoises
ReplyDeleteThere have been some truly awful experiments carried out on tortoises. Really not necessary, I think.
DeleteThanks for the info. I didn't know what the difference was but now I do
ReplyDelete😊
DeleteIn Swedish we use one and the same name for both turtle and tortoise. In English I've had the same impression that you did, though, that those living in water are called turtles and those on land tortoises. Checking the Swedish Wikipedia article now, I find there are lots of subspecies and ways to distinguish between them that I've never heard of... I never knew, for example, that only some can retract their head into the shield, while others can't.
ReplyDeleteI found the information about retracting heads interesting, too. I thought all tortoises could retreat into their shells.
ReplyDeleteFascinating information. I once visited an animal habitat in South Dakota that had a tortoise (now deceased) that was over 100 years old when I saw it - lived, I believe, to 130. We have snapping turtles that sometimes wander onto a walking trail we use occasionally.
ReplyDeleteI've just read a little about snapping turtles. They can be quite big and their bite is most unpleasant. Interesting to see, though.
DeleteI feel very sorry for the tortoise, the land animal. It looks as if it could only try to escape from a predator by running away slowly and clumsily. I am assuming the turtle is much more fluid in water and perhaps safer.
ReplyDeleteTortoises have lots of predators, and are most at risk when very young, They have no natural defences, other than shelter inside their carapaces, poor creatures.
DeleteI love seeing the sea tortoises gliding through the water.
ReplyDelete😊
Deletegreat explanation, and most of this I did not know. some I did because by son David was in herpetology club when a teen. we hade both turtle and tortoise and snakes and frogs and lizards and all kinds of cold blooded critters in house and yard.
ReplyDeleteKeeping pets is a great way to study animals, but I prefer mammals to most reptiles.
DeleteThanks for clearing that up!
ReplyDeleteLOL!!
DeleteI so appreciate the explanation in knowing the difference between the two. I am way too guilty about thinking of these things, but never digging in deep to read and become educated about them. I enjoyed learning about the differences between the turtles and the tortoises.
ReplyDeletePeople can spend a lifetime studying just one aspect of life.
DeleteI had a pet turtle when I was a kid and did a whole report on turtles and their sensory perceptions. I don't remember any of it now, except that they do indeed have tiny brains.
ReplyDeleteYou've probably retained more than you realise. Just wait for the right pub quiz questions . . .
DeleteWe often see tortoises and turtles here. Both called Helona here. From Chelonia, or vice versa obviously
ReplyDeleteThat must be rather pleasant.
DeleteJust saw an article that a Green Sea Turtle was captured and cleaned up to release. It is a young one and had 1 1/2 pounds of barnacles attached to it's shell and legs and head. It could barely move. By whatever name we call them, I like turtles.
ReplyDeletePoor creature! It's so good that people help these helpless animals.
DeleteThank you for pointing out the difference between a turtle and a tortoise, although I must admit I'm still a bit confused :-) xxx
ReplyDeleteWater or land - that's the main difference I'm taking away! 😎
DeleteInteresting
ReplyDelete😊
DeleteA very interesting read, thank you.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen Stanley? He is a Hermann’s Tortoise, and should you go across to see him, he's quite a lot bigger now. Spends part of the time indoors and part outside ... and is quite a character, really part of the family :)
https://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.com/2018/10/meet-stanley.html
All the best Jan
Your granddaughter looks so delighted with Stanley. She will have grown quite a bit since 2018, Stanley perhaps less so.
DeleteThank you for doing the research and educating me :-)
ReplyDeleteLOL!!
DeleteThanks for the info on the difference.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure.
DeleteLearn something new every day
ReplyDeleteI try to - whether | remember it is another matter entirely.
DeleteThank you for the information, Janice. I do think they are both facinating creatures but I wouldn't want a reptile as a pet.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen the attraction, either, but some people are really fascinated by them. I like mammals - they respond and there's the possibility of some sort of relationship!
Delete