Turtle VS. Tortoise

If you are ever so unlucky to call our tortoise, Hide, a turtle, heaven save you. On my first day of Reptile Room, I made this mistake, and you would have thought I just drop-kicked a puppy. It made me wonder, what is the difference between a turtle and a tortoise? I already examined the differences between alligators and crocodiles, so this couldn't be a difficult project.

Turtle

Turtle
The biggest difference between turtles and tortoises are their favored habitats. Turtles favor the water, rarely ever leaving it, and are built for this life. They have webbed feet that act like fins to propel them in the water as well as long legs and a streamline shell. Turtles that live in the ocean will only ever leave it to lay their eggs on the sand. You may have seen or heard of turtle documentaries that film the laying, hatching, and journey of the baby turtles, often facing many hardships when charging for the safety of the ocean. Turtles that live in cooler climates and call the great ponds and rivers of the United States home are more inclined to leave the water. I know that on my kayaking trips, there have been many a time that I've seen them basking in the sun on a log or rock. During the winter, or oddly cold days, cool weather turtles will burrow under the mud to keep warm and go into a torpor (state of physical and mental inactivity).

Tortoise
Apposed to the turtle, the tortoise lives a dryer life. They spend their life on land and in more desert-like climates. They do not have webbed feet. Their feet are more like tree stumps, thus better equipped for walking around on land, as well as dome shaped shells. They use their strong forelimbs to dig burrows for shelter. If the sun is too intense, they simply go underground. Because of their favored environments, tortoise have a diet consisting of low growing shrubs, cacti, and desert grasses.

Terrapin

Terrapin
Terrapin are the poorly known cousin of the turtle and tortoise. They spend their time on land and in water. They always live near the water, but can make the choice to wander on land for a bit. They live in brackish/swampy water. They are also called diamondbacks due to their highly recognizable shape of shell, which has deep angular rings. They share the webbed feet that turtles bear. Their name is actually derived from the Algonquian word for turtle, so they are not extremely different from their turtle cousins.

Links: http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/turtle-tortoise
http://www.ncaquariums.com/ask-the-aquarium/what-is-the-difference-between-turtles-terrapins-and-tortoises