Reptile
Eastern Box Turtle
North America's hinged turtle
Species group · 8 profiles
Turtles and Tortoises
Eight turtle and tortoise profiles — sea turtles, pond turtles and Galápagos tortoise. Shell, feet, habitat and status.
Quick answer
Turtles and tortoises belong to the order Testudines — reptiles with a bony shell fused to the ribcage. This guide profiles eight species across sea, freshwater and land: box turtle, painted turtle, snapping turtle, green sea turtle, hawksbill turtle, leatherback turtle, loggerhead turtle and Galápagos tortoise. Leatherbacks are the largest living turtles, regularly exceeding 500 kg (1,100 lb) and 2 metres (6.5 ft) in shell length; Galápagos tortoises are the largest living tortoises, with giants over 250 kg (550 lb). Shell shape and limb form track water versus land life. Each profile states range, diet, nesting habits and conservation status.
Turtles and Tortoises in this guide
Reptile
Green Sea Turtle
The gentle, long-lived grazer of tropical seas
Reptile
Hawksbill Sea Turtle
The tortoiseshell turtle
Reptile
Leatherback Sea Turtle
The giant jellyfish specialist
Reptile
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
The powerful-jawed sea turtle
Reptile
Painted Turtle
The pond slider of North America
Reptile
Snapping Turtle
The powerful-jawed freshwater turtle of North America
Reptile
Galápagos Tortoise
The giant tortoise that can live over a century
Telling them apart
All tortoises are turtles in the broad sense; "tortoise" usually means a terrestrial testudine with a domed shell and columnar, weight-bearing feet. Sea turtles have flippers and flattened shells; many freshwater turtles have webbed feet and lower domes. Shell height, limb shape and preferred habitat together separate the two groups more reliably than English common names alone in the field.
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Turtles and Tortoises: common questions
What is the difference between a turtle and a tortoise?
Both are testudines. Tortoises are land-dwelling, typically with high-domed shells and sturdy, elephantine feet. Animals called turtles often live in water or split time between water and land, with flatter shells and webbed feet or flippers. British English sometimes uses "turtle" more narrowly for sea species.
What is the largest turtle?
The leatherback sea turtle is the largest living turtle, with adults commonly 250–700 kg (550–1,540 lb). Galápagos tortoises are the largest tortoises but remain lighter than big leatherbacks. Soft, ridged carapaces and a jellyfish diet set leatherbacks apart from hard-shelled sea turtles.
Do sea turtles live on land?
Sea turtles spend nearly all of life in the ocean. Females come ashore to nest; hatchlings race from beach to sea. Feeding, mating and migration happen in water. Green, loggerhead, hawksbill and leatherback profiles on this hub follow that marine life history.
Are turtles and tortoises endangered?
Many sea turtles and island tortoises face high extinction risk. Among profiles here, several marine species are Vulnerable or Endangered, and Galápagos tortoises remain conservation-dependent after historical overharvest. Freshwater species vary; each page lists the IUCN category used in the guide.