The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists uses turtle to describe all species of the order Testudines, regardless of whether they are land-dwelling or sea-dwelling, and uses tortoise as a more specific term for slow-moving terrestrial species. Terrapin is used to describe several species of small, edible, hard-shell turtles, typically those found in brackish waters.Īlthough the members of the genus Terrapene dwell mostly on land, they are referred to as box turtles rather than tortoises. Tortoise usually refers to any land-dwelling, non-swimming chelonian. Like other amniotes, turtles breathe air and do not lay eggs underwater, although many species live in or around water. Turtles are classified as amniotes, along with other reptiles, birds, and mammals. However, because of their high metabolic rate, leatherback sea turtles have a body temperature that is noticeably higher than that of the surrounding water. Of the 356 known species 2 alive today, some are highly endangered. The earliest known members of this group date from the Middle Jurassic, 1 making turtles one of the oldest reptile groups and a more ancient group than snakes or crocodilians.
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