Turtle or tortoise?

Question

I just saw an episode of Big Bang Theory and they were going to buy a turtle. But when they were at the store they were actually looking at tortoises. Confused! Turtles live in water and tortoises live on land and need some water. Totally different animals. 
Do people in USA call them something different to the UK?

Answer

Here in Texas we call them turtles and tortoises. They are 2 different kinds of species.

Answer

Most people, in my experience, call all of them turtles, even if they know the actual difference.

Answer

Turtles are water and land, tortoises are strictly land

Answer

I grew up around desert tortoises. Now I've got alligator snapping turtles in my back yard. I guess not everybody knows or cares about the difference (not be offensive or mean.). I've even rescued a snapping turtle and so has my husband. I put the one next to the creek and have see it once or twice since then. Just have to be careful which end is which and they are fairly small. I also know how to move them without stressing them. But I wouldn't suggest just going up to one and messing with it. And desert tortoises are something you never mess with. They are on the protected species list so all you can really do is look at them from afar.

Answer

No it's just that people constantly screw stuff like that up, even tv shows. They'll have a gorilla on the tv and call it a monkey or a whale and call it if a fish. I get really annoyed lol

Answer

As someone who grew up around tortoises, it really just comes down to looking at them for me. They look completely different

Answer

I'm amazed how many people get it wrong. 
It's the same with chickens - on the TV once there was a rooster for an advertisement of eggs...

Turtle or tortoise?

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