Can Tortoises Swim? A Detailed Explanation of a Tortoise's Swimming Ability

Tortoises belong to the family Testudinidae, a group of terrestrial reptiles, and in folklore they symbolize slowness, steadfastness and longevity. Because they are physiologically limited by environmental temperature, their distribution in the natural world is far less widespread than that of ordinary mammals, and because individuals move slowly, their migratory behaviour is also less obvious than that of birds. Many people cannot help but ask: can tortoises swim? Let us take a look below at whether tortoises can actually swim!

Can tortoises swim?

Tortoises cannot swim. A tortoise's body structure is not suited to swimming, but that does not mean it will immediately drown just because it cannot swim; after all, a tortoise's shell also provides some buoyancy. It is simply that its evolution does not suit life in water, but rather life on land. In addition, after prolonged soaking in water, some tortoises develop shell rot. Some can float and then instinctively paddle their limbs, and some people take that as swimming; for example, when a tortoise is very hungry and has an empty stomach it is like an empty shell and can naturally float longer, but this does not all mean they can swim. It should depend on the species of tortoise; some tortoises that are more water-oriented can last longer. Also, being able to “swim” does not mean they can live in water.

In the Taklamakan Desert region of China there is a species called the four-toed tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii). Unlike ordinary turtles, which have five claws on each limb, this tortoise has only four claws on each limb, and there is no webbing between the toes. It cannot swim and can only spend its whole life on land, living in burrows, which is why it is also called the steppe tortoise or grassland tortoise. Well, that is all for our introduction to whether tortoises can swim. Below, let us look at some common tortoises!

Galapagos giant tortoise

The Galapagos giant tortoise is the largest tortoise, found only on 9 small islands of the Galapagos Archipelago. There are 12 subspecies in total. The carapace is highly domed, the top of the head bears symmetrical large scales, the skull is relatively short, the squamosal does not connect with the parietal, the frontal may not enter the orbit, and the postorbital is reduced or almost absent. The posterior part of the quadrate is usually closed, completely surrounding the stapes. The maxilla almost meets the quadratojugal, and the maxillary chewing surface has or lacks a central ridge. The carapace and plastron are firmly connected by the bridge with sutures. The limbs are stout and cylindrical. The finger and toe bones do not exceed 2 segments, bear claws, and have no webbing. There are no musk glands. It is herbivorous, eating cacti and fruits, pineapple, water fern, leaves and grass. It can live in relatively arid environments. It is also a very slow-moving animal, able to move only 260 m per hour.

Leopard tortoise

The leopard tortoise, also known as the leopard tortoise, is a reptile of the order Testudines, family Testudinidae, genus Stigmochelys. The carapace can reach 68 cm in length. The head and neck are yellow-brown without spots, the prefrontal scales number 1 to 2, and the parietal scales are several small scales. The carapace is mottled in alternating light and dark colours. There are 2 axillary scutes and 1 inguinal scute, which meets the femoral scute. Males are larger than females. Its habitat is dry grassland and scrub, and it needs spacious indoor and outdoor activity areas. It likes to live on semi-dry, thorny grasslands and aestivates in the hot season. Leopard tortoises generally reach sexual maturity at 12 to 15 years.

Sulcata tortoise

The Sulcata tortoise, also called the African spurred tortoise, is a very active tortoise. The carapace is highly domed, the top of the head bears symmetrical large scales, the skull is relatively short, the squamosal does not connect with the parietal, the frontal may not enter the orbit, and the postorbital is reduced or almost absent; the posterior part of the quadrate is usually closed, completely surrounding the stapes; the maxilla almost meets the quadratojugal, and the maxillary chewing surface has or lacks a central ridge. The carapace and plastron are firmly connected by the bridge with sutures. The limbs are stout and cylindrical. The finger and toe bones do not exceed 2 segments, bear claws, and have no webbing. There are no musk glands. It is herbivorous and can live in relatively arid environments. It is distributed in African countries such as Ethiopia, Sudan, Senegal, Mali and Chad.

Pancake tortoise

The pancake tortoise is a very special and small-bodied tortoise. When it encounters an enemy, it hides in rock crevices, and therefore its shell is very flat and soft. The pancake tortoise lives in Kenya and Tanzania and can squeeze into rock crevices, where it is not easy for predators to pull it out. It feeds mainly on plants; grass, forage grass, dandelion, vetch, plantain and cactus are all foods of the pancake tortoise.

Burmese tortoise

The Burmese tortoise is also called the elephant tortoise, dragon-claw tortoise, dry tortoise, pillow tortoise and so on, and is one of the most common tortoises on the market. In China it is distributed in Guangxi and Yunnan. Although Burmese tortoises are often sold in farmers' markets and pet markets in other provinces and cities, they are not native there; most are imported from Southeast Asia and then dispersed to various places. In recent years, resource depletion has meant that almost all Burmese tortoises depend on imports and smuggling by some traders. Besides China, the Burmese tortoise is mainly distributed from northeastern India to Vietnam and the Malay Peninsula region, including countries such as Nepal, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Cambodia, with the highest production areas concentrated in Thailand, Myanmar, southern Vietnam and Laos.

Indian tortoise

The Indian tortoise is also called the Sulawesi tortoise, among other names. The diet of wild Indian tortoises has not been recorded. Under captive conditions, Indian tortoises like plant-based food; melons, fruits and vegetable leaves are all its food, such as cucumber, banana, apple, cabbage leaves and watermelon, and it also eats lean pork, pig liver and duck liver, especially liking bananas and similar foods, but it does not eat sweet potato, celery, shrimp or fish. It has a plain, unassuming temperament, is timid and afraid of people, and small-bodied tortoises (around 500 grams) can, after being kept by humans for some time, actively approach people and even crawl along with their owner.