Annoying.

[Tortoise_Mama]

I have a Russian Tortoise named Koopa. Apparently no one around me knows the difference between a tortoise & a turtle. Cuz the next person that calls her a turtle is getting smacked. (I love turtles too tho lol)

 

[dmarcus]

lol, you get use to it, after a while its just not worth the energy to keep explaining the difference..

 

[dmmj]

I have to admit 50 percent of the time I refer to it as a russian turtle, And I have had them for almost 30 years now. Not russians but turtle and tortoises in general.

 

[Tortoise_Mama]

LOL!

 

[jaizei]

I think 'turtle' is colloquially acceptable when referring to any chelonian.

 

[yagyujubei]

The question I always get is "what do you do with them ?

 

[dmmj]

The question I always get is "what do you do with them ?

I also get that question often

 

[StraightEdge Rurouni]

The first time I saw a Russian Tortoise I called it a turtle too, so I can see where it comes from.

 

[Melly-n-shorty]

when my family and friends ask about shorty they say "how is your turtle". its become reflex for me to say "tortoise, she is good."

 

[ripper7777777]

Yea, my wife corrects people, so does my oldest daughter, but I say turtle now, but my son is learning to speak and I gave up trying to get tortoise from him, I'm happy with turt-til

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

If they have pets of their own, you can always throw it back and say something like "How's your son's rat doing" (referring to a gerbil or hamster) or "What a nice wolf-dog you have!" if they have a German shepherd. They'll take the hint sooner or later!

 

[Melly-n-shorty]

If they have pets of their own, you can always throw it back and say something like "How's your son's rat doing" (referring to a gerbil or hamster) or "What a nice wolf-dog you have!" if they have a German shepherd. They'll take the hint sooner or later!

ooo call the german shepherd a poodle lol

 

[cemmons12]

I think my wife says turtle just to get under my skin!

 

[Tortoise_Mama]

If they have pets of their own, you can always throw it back and say something like "How's your son's rat doing" (referring to a gerbil or hamster) or "What a nice wolf-dog you have!" if they have a German shepherd. They'll take the hint sooner or later!

Hilarious!

 

[Tom]

 

[bigred]

Yes sometimes its easier to smile and not explain it. I like the word turtle, I use it wrong often

 

[Floof]

I know technically tortoises are turtles, but it bugs me, too. Kind of like venomous vs poisonous, referring to snakes and the like--Venomous is technically poisonous, but it still bugs the holy living crap out of me when someone calls a snake "poisonous."

Take for example, yesterday. I had to call and make a vet appointment. I'm taking a snake in for a check up, to make sure there's no underlying reason for him going off feed, and agreed to take a friend's little Sulcata along. The poor thing has been suffering from a chronic RI from the owner's bad care (been working on teaching him better care.. Coming along slowly but surely... But better care just isn't cutting it with the RI). The whole time I was talking to the woman on the phone, trying to get price quotes for the Sullie's owner, setting an appointment date/time, etc, the woman called it a tortoise ONCE. I kept repeating the word "tortoise" while explaining the situation, yet she didn't think to use the word tortoise until the last 30 seconds of the phone call when she asked what species it is, and even then it was a, "Ok, so it's a Sulcata Turtle? I mean, Tortoise?"

Sigh... One might hope a technician for a reptile vet would at least know to use the proper terms... Or know them at all...

I've also had friends, family, random people, insist on calling them "turtles," but with them I get it, so I just grin and bear it. I've at least managed to train my dad and younger brother to use the right terms, which is a big enough win as far as I'm concerned.

 

[GBtortoises]

I still live in the rural farming area that I grew up in. I get the typical questions all the time: "What's the difference between a turtle and a tortoise?", "What do you do with them?", "What good are they?", "Do they come out of their shell? (seriously!) etc...

After nearly 30 years of answering those questions and many more, the best advice I can give is to educate yourself well on the subject so that you can answer people's questions to hopefully educate them!

And have lots and lots of patience!

 

[Melly-n-shorty]

Love it tom! That needs to be a shirt!

 

[jaizei]