It’s a flipping tortoise!

[GingerSwan]

To want to scream at the top of my lungs every time someone calls a tortoise a “turtle” 😂

I’ve just read so many comments on a fb video of one and everyone got it wrong, it makes me so irrationally angry

Yes iabu to get so worked up about it, what other mis-named things make you rage?

I have never heard a person call a tortoise a turtle

December - Turtles have flippers not legs. Those are both tortoises to my untrained eyes.

Ah ha, thanks @notcopingwiththis

They just look sooooo similar, I thought it was the same creature.

As I say, so many on here say differently, that I guess I must be wrong.

Turtles have flippers not legs.

Nope, some turtles have legs with claws. Sea turtles tend to have flippers, but fresh water turtles that have evolved to live in streams and lakes often have claws to dig into the soil to find food.

Having googled a bit more I actually think you might be right, the second one might be a turtle. It’s about where they live basically. Tortoises are exclusively land selling. Turtles are watery things. Usually sea turtles have clippers but the piney type can also have webbed feet. Turtles have more streamlined shells, tortoises tend to be more dome shape.

Omg so many errors in my last post I don’t even know where to begin.
Land dwelling
Have flippers
Pondy type

Usually sea turtles have clippers

No, that's barbers.

It's common for Americans to use the word 'turtle' as a catch-all term for turtles, tortoises, and terrapins.

And we should aspire to be as ignorant as Americans?

@NotCopingWithThis

Having googled a bit more, I think you may actually be right.

Well NOW I'm confused!

DH had a tortoise for 40 years who lived in the garden.
When DS23 was born our lovely Trini born Midwife excitedly pointed out the door and shouted "Theres a turtle!"
Sadly Tortoise died about 5 years ago.

When my son was about 5 he asked for a tortoise. I replied "who's going to look after it when you die?"

That sure took the wind out of his sails!!!! Wasn't mentioned again.

Good point indeed, Craft!
The family tortoise I mentioned earlier... My Gran got him when my mum, her daughter, was a toddler. He was then in his 30s, he'd lived with an elderly couple for a few decades. My Gran died when my mum was 40, so my mum took him (and various guinea pigs of Nan's) to our house. He is much loved and has a huge pen at the top of their garden for summer time. My mum is now 72. I'm 47. I can see him later coming to me.. but I have no children to pass him onto after that.

alltoomuchrightnow
DH got his tortoise from an old lady whose family had grown up and left home, so we had no idea how old he was. We had him over 40 years when he died coming out of hibernation. It was one of those years it was really warm one minute then freezing the next. He woke up then wouldnt eat. Missed him a lot he was a great character

Not really flippers per ce... and he does also go on land a lot aswel as swimming. But hes definitely a turtle and not a tortoise

Image fail ill be back

"Turtle" may refer to the order as a whole (American English) or to fresh-water and sea-dwelling testudines (British English).

@DecemberFrost both of your pictures are of tortoises, unless you are American where they could both be turtles.

My Dh woke me at 2am on Sunday to discuss whether or not the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were in fact Tortoise4s, as they have digits. I churlishly refused to join the discussion, as frankly, it was the middle of the night and he was pissed they are imaginary and their digits are not the only thing to worry about.

I've never heard anyone call a tortoise a turtle,but I have heard someone referring to a turtle as a tortoise. Btw,does anyone know what the difference is between a turtle and a terrapin? Is it just that terrapins are much smaller?

YANBU. My colleague mentioned a few times she was 'rescuing' a turtle from a family member who could no longer look after it. She showed me a photo of said 'turtle' after she got it. They turned out to be 2 Horsefield tortoises in a small vivarium, sitting in front of a bowl of spinach and iceburg lettuce. My heart sank for them.

@GahWhatever

No, you're wrong. Pic 1 is a tortoise and 2 is a turtle.

We had our TORTOISE 45 years and don't know how old he was when he was given to my sister as a 10th birthday present by a neighbour (my parents were horrified). He often ran away, once for 3 weeks (then someone saw our poster and returned him). He could climb quite a bit. My friend once saw the tortoise from next door come over the top of a six-foot fence and drop down her side. Never underestimate a tortoise.

My boy is a good climber too mrsjoyful. When DM was a child he used to escape his pen, scale the fence to next door and eat all their runner beans! He still loves runner beans now (50ish years on).

Bruffin, that's sad, they are great characters. We've had to 'force' feed ours before with peas and a teaspoon, that always worked (when coming out of hibernation). These days hibernation is frowned on for 'modern' torties but experts have told us not to change his habits as it works for him , as here he is having lived through two World Wars.

My daughter's tortoise got attacked by my son's giant snail. It all happened so quickly!

As someone who has previously had Giant snails (although, sadly no Tortise) I need to know more about this incident.

Alltoomuch
He was a lovely character

I never knew there were so many tortoise owners on Mumsnet!

I had to take mine to the vets a few months back to get microchipped (did you know you can get a tortoise microchipped?!) and a girl around 9yrs was fascinated by my 'turtle'. There was smoke coming out my ears.

In answer to PP, not all tortoises hibernate. Mine is African and doesnt, although most do (or atleast can).