Turtle & Tortoise Quiz

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Instructions: Shell out your best answers in this quiz about turtles, tortoises, and terrapins

1.
What is the main difference between a turtle and a tortoise?
A
Tortoises are larger
B
Turtles live in water, tortoises live on land
C
There is no difference
D
Tortoises have harder shells
2.
Which giant tortoise species from the Galapagos Islands can live for over 150 years?
A
Radiated Tortoise
B
Sulcata Tortoise
C
Aldabra Giant Tortoise
D
Galapagos Giant Tortoise
3.
Which is the largest sea turtle species, reaching up to 7 feet in length and 2,000 pounds?
A
Leatherback Sea Turtle
B
Hawksbill
C
Green Sea Turtle
D
Loggerhead
4.
Which sea turtle gets its name from the color of its body fat, caused by its diet of seagrass and algae?
A
Green Sea Turtle
B
Hawksbill
C
Flatback
D
Olive Ridley
5.
Which freshwater turtle from North America is known for its powerful bite and its spiked, dinosaur-like appearance?
A
Map Turtle
B
Alligator Snapping Turtle
C
Softshell Turtle
D
Common Snapping Turtle
6.
What unique feature does the alligator snapping turtle use to lure fish into its mouth?
A
A bright colored shell
B
A worm-shaped appendage on its tongue
C
A special scent
D
Bioluminescent spots
7.
Which popular pet tortoise from Africa is the third-largest tortoise species and is also called the African spurred tortoise?
A
Red-footed Tortoise
B
Leopard Tortoise
C
Radiated Tortoise
D
Sulcata Tortoise
8.
How do sea turtles find their way back to the same beach where they were born to lay their eggs?
A
By smell alone
B
By following ocean currents
C
By using Earth's magnetic field
D
By following the stars
9.
Which small, colorful turtle is the most popular pet turtle in the United States?
A
Painted Turtle
B
Red-eared Slider
C
Mud Turtle
D
Box Turtle
10.
What is a turtle's shell made of?
A
Keratin and bone
B
Cartilage
C
Hardened skin
D
Calcium deposits
11.
Which endangered sea turtle has a beautiful shell pattern that was historically used to make jewelry and combs?
A
Loggerhead
B
Green Sea Turtle
C
Hawksbill Sea Turtle
D
Leatherback
12.
Which North American turtle can completely close its shell like a box, protecting itself entirely inside?
A
Painted Turtle
B
Snapping Turtle
C
Musk Turtle
D
Box Turtle
13.
What determines the sex of most turtle and tortoise hatchlings?
A
Size of the egg
B
Temperature during incubation
C
Time of year laid
D
Genetics
14.
Which tortoise from Madagascar has a stunning star pattern on each section of its shell?
A
Geometric Tortoise
B
Radiated Tortoise
C
Leopard Tortoise
D
Indian Star Tortoise
15.
Which freshwater turtle has a distinctive long neck that it tucks sideways under its shell rather than pulling it straight back?
A
Matamata
B
Pig-nosed Turtle
C
Softshell Turtle
D
Snake-necked Turtle

Answer Key

Question 1

B. Turtles live in water, tortoises live on land

Question 2

D. Galapagos Giant Tortoise

Question 3

A. Leatherback Sea Turtle

Question 4

A. Green Sea Turtle

Question 5

B. Alligator Snapping Turtle

Question 6

B. A worm-shaped appendage on its tongue

Question 7

D. Sulcata Tortoise

Question 8

C. By using Earth's magnetic field

Question 9

B. Red-eared Slider

Question 10

A. Keratin and bone

Question 11

C. Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Question 12

D. Box Turtle

Question 13

B. Temperature during incubation

Question 14

B. Radiated Tortoise

Question 15

D. Snake-necked Turtle

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