Those who attended the University of Maryland or are familiar with this institution know to “fear the turtle.” Thanks to their trusty mascot, Testudo, this slogan is a favorite of students and fans. But is Testudo the terrapin actually a turtle or a tortoise? And is there even a difference between them? Let’s take a closer look.
What is a turtle?
Turtles and tortoises are both听reptiles that belong to the order Testudines. This order is comprised of aquatic and terrestrial species that have their trunk enclosed in a shell. To be specific, that shell consists of a dorsal carapace鈥攐r shell covering鈥攁nd a ventral plastron (the bottom part of the shell). The architecture of this shell that houses the skeleton听is unique to turtles. Turtles cannot or shed it for a new one.
The word turtle听dates back to around 1625鈥�35. It originated from an alteration of the French tortue, which is itself derived听from the Latin听word for this animal, 迟辞谤迟奴肠补.
To use the word correctly, you might say:
- Her family refers to her as “The Turtle” because she is quick to retreat into her “shell” instead of getting to know people.
- Out of all of the animals he grew up with, Gabe’s favorite pet was his beloved turtle, Shelly, whose shell patterns inspired his artwork.
Since turtle, or the order Testudines, refers to reptiles who have their bodies protected or encased within a shell, it’s no surprise that there are many species of听turtles: 356 of them to be exact. Some of these types of turtles include sea turtle,听box turtle, green turtle, and snapping turtle.
However, an aquatic turtle can be distinguished from a terrestrial one, known as a tortoise.
Do you have animal instincts when it comes to spelling? Find out with this animal spelling quiz.
What is a tortoise?
A tortoise is a noun that refers to a terrestrial turtle听or a slow-moving person. This type of turtle belongs to the family Testudinidae and typically spends its time on land.
Tortoise was first recorded in English around 1350鈥�1400. It originated as a variant of the earlier words听tortuse, tortose, and tortuce. The word tortoise may be related to the听Latin for “twisted” (tortus). The Latin word听testudo comes from听testa (“shell”).
You might use the word like so:
- After Tamara broke her leg, she felt like a tortoise: only able to inch along on her crutches at an excruciatingly slow pace.
- While his family was visiting the desert, Lucas came across a tortoise eating a piece of cactus.
- She opted for tortoiseshell glasses in honor of her favorite reptile: the tortoise.
How to tell the difference between a turtle and tortoise
Although tortoises are a type of turtle and belong to the order Testudines, they have distinct differences from aquatic turtles who spend their time in the water. Firstly, terrestrial turtles or tortoises听are land-dwellers that eat vegetation and typically live in hot, dry areas. There are also physical differences, , and these make it much easier to tell them apart.
In order to accommodate their time in the water, turtles have webbed feet. Some turtles have flippers and spend their entire lives swimming while others hang out on the shore, rocks, or beaches on occasion and burrow in the mud when they get cold.
Instead of webbed feet, tortoises have round feet that look like stumps and help them walk on land. They live in dry and hot habitats, and some even eat cactus. To avoid the sun, some dig burrows and head underground. Most tortoises have shells that are higher with more of a domed shape.
If you’re still wondering about Testudo, a terrapin is a type of turtle that is听“of the family Emydidae, inhabiting fresh or brackish waters, especially the diamondback terrapin.” So听don’t be a slow-poke on showing your love for our shelled friends 馃悽, and be quick to celebrate them on on May 23.
