Their forelimbs are not flipperlike and their hind feet are not webbed each digit in their forefeet and hind feet contains two or fewer phalanges finally if you cant see their legs try feeding them meat tortoises are generally vegetarians while other turtles are omnivorous. The tortoise is larger than turtle and has a dome shaped shell while the turtles generally have flat and streamlined shells the shells of the tortoise are bigger and heavier as opposed to the turtles whose shells are lightweightthe tortoise has small and sturdy feet and their legs are bent while the turtles have webbed feet with long claws adapted to swimming. The major difference between the two is that tortoises dwell on land while turtles live in the water some or nearly all of the time the bodies of tortoises and turtles are both shielded by a shell the upper part of which is called carapace with the lower portion called a plastron the carapace and the plastron are attached by a bridge which means that though the head and limbs of a turtle or tortoise may be withdrawn from the shell the whole body can never be totally detached from it. How to tell the difference between a turtle and tortoise although tortoises are a type of turtle and belong to the order testudines they have distinct differences from aquatic turtles who spend their time in the water firstly terrestrial turtles or tortoises are land dwellers that eat vegetation and typically live in hot dry areas