Difference Between Turtle And Tortoise

Turtles vs. Tortoises
Turtles and tortoises may seem like the same animal to many people but in fact, they have many differences between the two of them. They are both pretty common pets but the misunderstanding that they have the same care needs because they are basically the same animal have dire consequences for these animals. That is why it is important to know the differences between turtles and tortoises.
General physical appearance is one of the major differences between the two if you look close enough. Tortoises have a more round, dome-shaped shell. Turtles have flatter more streamlined shells so that they are able to move easier in the water where they spend most of their time. Their shells are also lighter so it is easier for them …show more content…
All turtles are aquatic or at least semi-aquatic.They spend the majority of their lives on or in the water, freshwater or saltwater depends on the type of turtle itself. A tortoise almost never fully never enters the water by choice. Tortoises spend their lives walking, never swimming. They are much heavier than turtles so they would actually sink if placed in water too deep for them to walk out of. Tortoises are not able to swim with the way they are built so they would drown even though they are able to hold their breath for a long period of time. This is actually possible for both animals because in order for them to retract into their shells they need to be able to fully empty their lungs. Tortoises can, and really do, live anywhere in the world besides areas of the extreme cold of course. Generally, they stay in warmer and drier climates. Did you know that the lighter a tortoise's shell the warmer the climate that they live in …show more content…
Tortoises live a significantly longer natural life than turtles. Tortoises generally live around eighty years in the wild if they had everything they need and there are no outside forces acting upon them. Tortoises will live even longer in captivity if properly taken care of. In the wild, turtles usually have a potential lifespan of about thirty and in captivity, usually live to see forty if kept healthy. Sea turtles are more likely to live closer to eighty years if they are not killed or die prematurely. Now for habits; most breeds of tortoise, on average, stay in the same square mile of land for their entire life, males will not share this area but females might in small numbers. Sea turtles migrate more than ten thousand miles each year from foraging to nesting grounds. Freshwater turtles, however, will travel from one body of water to the next only if they need to but travel nowhere near the distance of a sea turtle. They will just move to the closest source of water to where they currently are