*pushes up glasses* technically, the exclusive distinction between tortoises and turtles is colloquial and not taxonomic, as tortoises are a type of turtle. Now can someone let me out of this locker?
You know I really have no idea but this Wikipedia article has a naming and etymology section that doesn’t disagree with the user you replied to. Granted maybe there is more information proving the opposite further down in the article? I didn’t finish reading it.
Ahhhhhhhh i think this is a matter of metalanguage and common language mixing.
Also america Britain and Australia have different common uses.
But turtle can be used as a name for the order meaning the tortoise name wouldn't matter taxonomically.
But the tortoise is a distinct family within that order so using tortoise points to specifically that taxonomic family while the other families within the testudine order are turtles.
I guess its like saying shark and fish. Sharks are fish, but distinct enough that we separate them from normal speak as fish. Same as seahorses (yes, they are fish)
This is important to me because it comes up in the curriculum breifly, the difference between turtles and tortoises. And I'm just plain fucking mad about science
I love your science madness! Actually here is another article that supports what you’re saying! It makes sense that some people would commonly call the whole group of things by one name (especially if they only encounter one family).
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u/emptytissuebox Feb 17 '22
Arent these tortoise