A tortoise is a reptile with a hard, dome-shaped shell that lives entirely on land. Tortoises move slowly and deliberately, pulling their head and legs inside their protective shell when threatened. They have sturdy, stumpy legs built for walking on solid ground, unlike their aquatic cousins the turtles, which have flippers or webbed feet for swimming.

Tortoises can live for an incredibly long time. Some species survive for over 100 years, outliving the humans who care for them. The oldest known tortoise lived to be 188 years old. They eat plants, flowers, and vegetables, spending their days wandering slowly through their habitat, munching on whatever greenery they find.

The word tortoise also appears in the famous fable about the tortoise and the hare, where a slow but steady tortoise defeats a fast but overconfident hare in a race. This story has made “tortoise” a symbol for patience and persistence.

People often confuse tortoises with turtles, but here's an easy way to remember: tortoises live on land, while most turtles spend time in water. If you see one plodding across a desert or munching grass in a garden, you're looking at a tortoise.