Tortoises and Turtles Are Different?
Yes, they are. Know the major tortoise and turtle differences here.
Let’s start with the most basic tortoise-turtle fact: Tortoises are land-dwelling, whereas turtles live underwater and only come to the land to lay eggs.
Major Tortoise-Turtle Differences
- Turtles are naturally good swimmers because their limbs are somewhat like paddles. On the other hand, tortoises are bad swimmers. Their legs are short and thick, preventing them from swimming. Additionally, tortoises have heavy shells that are also not ideal for swimming.
- Tortoises only consume plant, but turtles are omnivores.
- Turtles are smaller than tortoises. Nonetheless, there are always exceptions. Leatherback Sea Turtles, largest among all living turtles, outweigh the Giant Tortoises.
- Tortoises can retreat their heads completely into shells, but turtles can only do this partially.
Are All Tortoises Turtles?
I thought this while writing. I googled my query and stumbled upon this article that not all tortoises are turtles. Both turtles and tortoises belong to the Testudines order. The what? I had to Google again. In simpler terms, they have bony protection in the form of shells. But we use different words for both because of the differences we just read.
Tortoise vs Turtle: The Longer Lifespan?
As per a ReptileCity article, both have longer lifespans. However, the average lifespan of turtles is much higher than tortoises. Reportedly, some turtles have lived beyond 200 years! The same article states that the average lifespan of tortoises falls between fifty to sixty years.
