Turtles, tortoises and terrapins are all reptiles

Turtles, tortoises and terrapins are all reptiles, contrary to the common belief that turtles and terrapins are amphibians due to the amount of time they spend in the water. So, what is the difference between these three shelled animals?

Turtles, tortoises and terrapins differ in their habitats and behaviors.

• Turtles spend most of their time in the water and have webbed feet, perfect for swimming. They can be found in fresh or salt water and like to eat fishes.


• Tortoises live on land in dry, hot areas and have stumpy rugged feet which are idea for digging burrows to hide from the sun. They eat shrubs, grasses and cacti (be careful Paul).


• Terrapins are more like turtles as they spend their lives in and out of the water, but they are not found in salt water.

Recently their have been claims that a "turtle" has been kidnapped in my office. Based on the above information, I feel that the kidnapee was not a "turtle" but a tortoise. Why? "Clarence" or "Tommy" has thick, stumpy legs, has not eaten any of John's fishes and has not been spotted in or around any bodies of water. Furthermore, turtle shells are typically flat and streamlined so they can move quickly through the water, whereas tortoises, such as the aforementioned kidnapee have bulky rounded shells.

If you have any information about the disappearance of this tortoise, please let the kidnapper know that their "turtle soup" threats are irrelevant.