What is the Difference Between Turtles, Terrapins, and Tortoises?
11 July 1997 Turtles, terrapins, and tortoises are members of the order Testudines, a division of the class Reptilia. The primary difference between the three reptiles has more to do with where they live than actual physical differences. In fact, use of the three terms varies in different parts of the world. In the United States, all freshwater, marine, and most land testudines are known as turtles. The species of testudines found only in the brackish waters of marshes and river inlets along the coast is called a terrapin. Totally terrestrial testudines are tortoises. Turtles are the most ancient of all living reptiles. They first appeared on earth some 200 million years ago and have remained relatively unchanged since that time. The turtle’s survival is most likely due to one of nature’s most successful designs — the turtle shell. The shell is actually fused bone, consisting of the turtle’s rib cage and spinal cord. The shells of water turtles are much flatter and more streamlined th
