Turtles and tortoises are some of the most loved animals on Earth. Even people who are scared of snakes and lizards usually like turtles. It is easy to see why. Turtles are beautiful and calm, and they mind their own business. Even snapping turtles, which look fierce, spend most of their lives quietly underwater trying to avoid trouble. And who can watch a video of baby sea turtles racing toward the ocean without cheering them on? In the United States, we usually call the ones that live in water "turtles" and the ones that live on land "tortoises." In other countries, those words are sometimes used the opposite way. To avoid confusion, scientists call the whole group chelonians (kuh-LOH-nee-uns).
This lesson is part of Certified Junior Herpetologist. Enrollment is self-paced, with no deadline to finish (about 30 hours).
