Pet peeve

[Sulcataman]

Is it just me, or does it annoy everyone else when people refer to tortoises as TURTLES? Everyone I know always calls them turtles. You don't get donkeys and horses, or rats and mice confused, so why the ignorance?

 

[bobbymoore]

Everyone that sees my tortoise refers it to a turtle here you don't see tortoises walking on people's front lawns everyday they just dont know they have never seen one in person befor

 

[dmmj]

Man how many threads do we have on this topic? I used to, but I have stopped being irritated by it. In all fairness I often refer to my rusians as russin turtles.

 

[Sulcataman]

I don't know how many threads, I just joined a week ago and have never had anyone to vent to. Sorry to annoy you.

 

[dmmj]

I am not annoyed it was a rhetorical question, if I was annoyed I would have listed as a pet peeve duplicate threads. For future reference we have a search function.

 

[Missy]

When taking Lana for her evening walk, I have had people ask if thats a snapping turtle. First time I explained second time I said yes, yes it is. LOL. But it does not bother me I just get a kick out of people. Here's your sign.

 

[Edna]

Is it just me, or does it annoy everyone else when people refer to tortoises as TURTLES? Everyone I know always calls them turtles. You don't get donkeys and horses, or rats and mice confused, so why the ignorance?

Sadly, I think I can top the silliness of referring to tortoises as turtles. A family member once suggested that while tortoises are reptiles, turtles are amphibians. Seriously.

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

It kind of does. Not when it's little kids or anything, but when it's my mother or someone I've talked to about it being a TORTOISE and they still say, "aw it's a cute little turtle" or "why doesn't he swim more if he's a turtle?"

Yes, does get annoying.

 

[jaizei]

Is it just me, or does it annoy everyone else when people refer to tortoises as TURTLES? Everyone I know always calls them turtles. You don't get donkeys and horses, or rats and mice confused, so why the ignorance?

That's probably because tortoises are TURTLES. 'Turtle' is a perfectly acceptable term when referring to chelonians. I wouldn't use the terms interchangeably (Russian turtle), but I do use 'turtle' when speaking about them generically, or without knowing the exact species.

 

[wellington]

This thread has been done before. It bugs me too. However, I now call them turtles, because 99% of the people that ask me about them, or that i have to ask them, don't have a clue what I am talking about if I say tortoise. So I caved, I say turtles, I get their attention into the right area of animal, and then I say, he is really a tortoise, land turtle. Because if I don't say it that way, and just say tortoise, they don't still don't get it. Yes it bugs me, but I couldn't take it no more and I had to cave, sorry

 

[Tom]

This thread has been done before. It bugs me too. However, I now call them turtles, because 99% of the people that ask me about them, or that i have to ask them, don't have a clue what I am talking about if I say tortoise. So I caved, I say turtles, I get their attention into the right area of animal, and then I say, he is really a tortoise, land turtle. Because if I don't say it that way, and just say tortoise, they don't still don't get it. Yes it bugs me, but I couldn't take it no more and I had to cave, sorry

Don't cave! Stand up for your TORTOISE!

 

[Laurie]

I call my group tortles.. Lol. I don't know why, it's just more fun to say, " honey, come look at the tortles..)

 

[wellington]

This thread has been done before. It bugs me too. However, I now call them turtles, because 99% of the people that ask me about them, or that i have to ask them, don't have a clue what I am talking about if I say tortoise. So I caved, I say turtles, I get their attention into the right area of animal, and then I say, he is really a tortoise, land turtle. Because if I don't say it that way, and just say tortoise, they don't still don't get it. Yes it bugs me, but I couldn't take it no more and I had to cave, sorry

Don't cave! Stand up for your TORTOISE!

I try, but the look on their face when I say Tortoise. Well let's just say, I have a potty mouth, remember I live in Chicago, it's required in order to live here and the thing I want to say to them would not be nice. I try real hard to be nice to people, I would really like to kill the majority of them, so I really try hard to be nice. So, I just have to cave. Now if they are animal people, well then I don't have to cave. They, animal people, the superior human, gets it LOL

 

[Eweezyfosheezy]

I used to get annoyed but I dont really care anymore. It really depends on the scenario I'm in if I want to correct them or not.

 

[Gangigraphics]

Well, technically they are part of the turtle family.... No?

 

[wellington]

I call my group tortles.. Lol. I don't know why, it's just more fun to say, " honey, come look at the tortles..)

I either say Tatum or my tort. That is only to the family and friends who know what I am talking about.

 

[Vishnu2]

Yes, it is annoying to me.. Esp, when a major film company like Warner Bros can't get it right. Cecil is a Tortoise not a turtle. I still kindly educate people, explaining the differences (if they want to know). I don't want to be the responsible party for confusing someone that they are indeed the same thing when they are not.