Instructions
Look at where the turtle or tortoise lives. If it is on land and in a hot, dry place away from water, it is a tortoise. Tortoises only go to water to drink or bathe, but turtles spend most of their lives in the water or basking on a rock near the water.
Examine the reptile's feet. Turtles are known for their webbed feet. Tortoises do not have webbed feet. Their feet are also round and stumpy and often called elephant-shaped.
Look at the animal's size, especially if it is full grown. An adult desert tortoise, for example, can be well over a foot long, while a common adult map turtle living in a river is six to ten inches long. However, the alligator snapping turtles' twenty-plus inch size doesn't go along with that distinguishing factor.
How Do I Identify a Turtle From a Tortoise?
Turtles and tortoises are close reptilian relatives. They're so close, many people might find it hard to tell the difference between them. They are both cold blooded, omnivores, have scales, and live long lives for animals. According to the San Diego Zoo, one of the most common differences is a turtle spends most of its life in the water, while a tortoise lives it up on dry land. But there are several other ways to distinguish a turtle from a tortoise.