terrapins or turtles

[terrabill]

hi; everyone new 2 this site , can anyone help ; i have had my tropical fish tank set up for 3 years now tank size is 3ft x 1ft in wood cabinet , i have seen on other web sites tropical fish in with turtles or terrapins not sure which , i just wondering what would be ok for my set up and what other equipment i would need to set up turtle or terrapin enclosure ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, any advice much appreciated ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, thanks,,,, :help:

[Fishguy2727]

Probably not. Turtles will eat fish and will create unbelievable amounts of waste. That tank would not be good for most turtles except for the smallest species of mud and musk turtles and even then would need to be setup differently.

[mermaidwannabe]

Okay, I just have to ask:

What is the difference between turtles and terrapins? I know there's a difference between turtles and tortoises -- turtles being more aquatic and tortoises being more associated with very dry environments like deserts. But I never have gotten a clear answer about the differences between turtles and terrapins.

Are they really one and the same, just different terminology?

Are turtles both land and water, and terrapins strictly aquatic? If that is the case, why don't they call sea turtles "sea terrapins"?

I know, NOT earth-shattering, but I've still always wondered about this.

-- mermaid

[mermaidwannabe]

Am still wondering about the answer to my last question. I've tried reading about it to see if there are any definitive differences between turtles and terrapins, but no clear answers. Anyone wish to enlighten me? I can always learn something new .... Thanks .... Mermaid

[WhiteDevil]

I think terrapins are brackish turtle species.

[mermaidwannabe]

Thanks, White Devil. Never heard that one before. Any other differences?

[WhiteDevil]

sea turtles are called terrapins, so pretty much one is fresh aka turtle, and the salt/brackish are called terrapins.

I think thats the difference between sea and inland turtles.

[William]

From the AC turtle page ( I am lazy and don´t want to repeat myself but feel I should step in here as things seem to be getting mixed up):

The word turtle is widely used to describe all members of the order Testutdines, but it is also common to divide the species into tortoises, terrapins and (sea) turtles. Which type of usage that feels natural to a certain speaker will normally depend which type of English that person speaks; British English, American English or Australian English.

In British English, the word turtle is typically reserved for the species that lives in the sea. Species that lives in fresh water or brackish water are called terrapins, while the species that live on land are called tortoises. American and Australian common names are normally left intact; and a British English speaker will for instance use the common name Pig-nosed Turtle for the Australian species Carettochelys insculpta even though this species live in freshwater (i.e. is a terrapin).

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[mermaidwannabe]

Just goes to show how casual our lingo was in my family. We never used the word terrapin, although I have come across it while reading. We always called them either turtles or tortoises. If they were in the desert, they were tortoises. All the others, whether freshwater, brackish or sea, we called turtles. That's why the word terrapin has always been confusing to me -- it was never used in my family referring to any of these animals. I think in America "turtle" is generally used to describe any aquatic turtle, with terrapin rarely being used (as far as I've ever heard). Tortoise is used for the dry land type.

Thanks for informing me of the distinctions. A freshwater and brackish water "turtle" is actually a "terrapin", depending on how formal one wants to be, and the desert dweller is always a "tortoise".

Now, I know. And it seems to be a matter of how loosely one uses these various terms as to what the animal finally ends up being called in casual conversation.

-- mermaid

[Fishguy2727]

Turtle, tortoise, and terrapin are all common names and therefore there is nothing official about any of them. Just like bala sharks may also be referred to as a tricolor sharks or silver sharks depending on where you are and who you talk to.

In my experience tortoise is reserved for dry terrestrial Testudines. Turtle is reserved for aquatic species, fresh or salt, and for box turtles. The only terrapin I hear referred to as such is the diamondback terrapin. You will also hear names like slider, cooter, etc. without any turtle or terrapin.

[William]

Yes and no. Turtle, tortoise, and terrapin are not universially accepted scientific terms but i also think it is wrong to go as far as to call them common names as they do have defined linguistical meanings. The biggest problem is that the meaning varies slightly between English, American and Australian English.

But i do not really think there is any reason to use to the word terrapin except for the diamondback terrapin as the world turtle would describe any of the other terrapins just as well.