Box Turtles, tortoise or turtle?

[Jack Green]

I have been told that box turtles are a kind of misnamed North American tortoise but I am not 100% on that since I have seen some people call them a kind of turtle. Sorry to put something not completely about tortoises up but this has been nagging at me for months.

 

[Rue]

Well...all tortoises are turtles...but not all turtles are tortoises...

Does that help at all?

 

[Jack Green]

Well...all tortoises are turtles...but not all turtles are tortoises...

Does that help at all?

I got some more input thanks for the comment

 

[Loohan]

Boxies are much fonder of water.

 

[Speedy-1]

They are turtles . Here you go ; http://www.tortoiseforum.org/forums/american-box-turtles.98/

 

[Madkins007]

It depends on where you live.

They are not 'true tortoises'. They do not have the right feet, shell, skull, and so on to be part of the tortoise family of Testudinidae. Anatomically they are clearly related to other pond turtles. Few Americans would call them a tortoise.

However, in Europe and other places, the word 'tortoise; is used to describe land-dwelling shelled reptiles and they use it for North American boxies as well.

Australia calls lots of fresh water turtles 'tortoises' and I have no clue what they would call a boxie.

 

[Rue]

Terrapin?