Limbs

Tortoises spend their entire lives on land which is much different from most turtles which is why the limbs of these two creatures are designeed differently.

Tortoises have short stalky legs which are adapted for climbing, crawling and walking. Although these legs do not allow them to run fast they are very sturdy giving them alot of strength to hold their bodies up.

The legs on most turtles have been adapted for swimming which is why they are webbed. This webbing allows them to swim much faster through the water than if they had legs like land-dwelling tortoises. Some of the largest turtles do not actually have the same amount of webbing because they walk through the water as opposed to swim.