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How are tortoises different from other turtles?

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Illustrations of ten representative chelonians, including spiny softshell turtle, Galapagos giant tortoise, green turtle, alligator snapping turtle, Blanding's turtle, common map turtle, eastern box turtle, eastern painted turtle, spotted turtle, and eastern mud turtle, each labeled with its common and scientific name. A scale bar at the bottom shows size comparison. — turtle Turtles (order Testudines).

While all tortoises are turtles—as both belong to the order Testudines—they are distinguished from other turtles by several key characteristics:12

Habitat: Tortoises are exclusively terrestrial, living in environments ranging from deserts to tropical forests. Unlike many other turtles, they do not spend their lives in water, though they do drink and occasionally bathe.12
Anatomy: Tortoises (family Testudinidae) possess unique, elephantine (columnar) hind limbs and stubby hind feet. Their forelimbs are not flipperlike, and their feet are not webbed. Additionally, most tortoises have high, domed shells, which serve as an adaptation to make them difficult for predators to crush.132
Diet: While many other turtles are omnivorous or carnivorous, tortoises are generally vegetarians, primarily consuming foliage, flowers, and fruits.12

It is important to note that the term "tortoise" was historically used for any land-dwelling turtle, which can lead to confusion with species like box turtles. However, modern classification reserves the name for members of the family Testudinidae based on these specific anatomical and behavioral traits.12