Turtles Cold or Warm-Blooded? (Reptile vs Amphibian)


Cold-blooded animals cannot regulate their body temperature since they rely on their surroundings. On the other hand, warm-blooded animals can regulate their temperature levels, making their temperature constant irrespective of the environment.

So, are turtles cold-blooded or warm-blooded? Like all reptiles, turtles are cold-blooded animals (ectothermic), meaning that their body temperature reflects that of their environment. When it gets cold, their bodies become cold and vice versa. Therefore, if the water gets too cold for them, you will find them basking in the sun or under or over a heat source to raise their body temperature. It is also common to find them swimming around in the water to move away from the cold to warm regions.

There are many instances of animals freezing; therefore, as a pet owner, it is vital to know whether your turtle can get cold. Notably, you may find turtles getting sick if the surrounding temperature is not favorable; thus, it is crucial to ensure that the temperatures are right. Let’s learn about what happens to the turtle when it gets cold.

Turtles can get cold when the temperatures are too low, and when this happens, their bodies begin to slow down. Considering they cannot regulate their temperature, staying in cold water for too long may have fatal repercussions.

First, their metabolism rate reduces, then, their heartbeat slows down, which leads to slowed blood circulation. Eventually, they may freeze to death. All these can happen if they stay in the cold for too long. Hence, it is best to provide a heat source for them to bask in and maintain room temperature (20-25°C).

Generally, turtles shouldn’t stay in cold or hot water for too long since they may get sick. Thus, when in the wild, they migrate to warmer areas or move out of the water to bask. In contrast, if you have them as pets, you must be extra careful regarding their temperature levels. You can provide a heat source for them to find heat if the water gets too cold for them. If you have a water heater, it will come in handy to raise the water’s temperature when it gets too cold.

Similarly, you can use cold water as a means of cooling them down if they stay in the heat for too long. It is also essential to know that some turtle species, such as the box turtle, can survive in the cold and even in freezing water. Therefore, it’s important to know your pet’s species and its characteristics.

Can Turtles Regulate Their Body Temperature?

To ensure that your pet doesn’t get sick, you need to be cautious about the temperature. While some animals have the innate ability to keep their body temperature constant, some rely on the prevailing environmental conditions. Our concern is how the turtles’ bodies work regarding thermoregulation.

Turtles cannot control their body temperature. Instead, they adapt to the current temperatures; if it is hot, their bodies get hot and vise versa. Unlike mammals whose temperature remains constant wherever they go, the turtles reflect the environment of their surroundings. Thus, to attain a favorable temperature, they have to move to an area with that temperature.

Turtles are ectothermic animals; their internal temperatures reflect their environment since they cannot regulate their bodies. Hence, they need a heat source to help them raise their body temperature if it gets too cold, and cold surfaces to cool them down if it gets too hot. Therefore, it’s common to find turtles migrating from one water region to another in search of conducive temperatures.

However, their body temperature can get lower when they are hibernating, as low as near freezing. In these circumstances, their metabolism significantly drops as they can go into a state of general inactivity. But this happens in the wild as a way to survive the harsh winters. When in captivity, they don’t need to go through hibernation since they get conducive temperatures and food to survive.

Interestingly, turtles are more active when it’s warm and less active when it gets cold. Thus, their muscles are easily activated by heat and slowed down when it is cold. Secondly, ectotherms of different species have a temperature preference ranging from 60°F- 90°F; therefore, as an owner, it would help determine the best temperature for your turtle.

Are All Reptiles Cold-Blooded or Are Turtles Special?

Animals are grouped into particular species based on a lot of factors such as observable features and genetic makeup. As we have noted, turtles are cold-blooded animals but are they the same as other reptiles?

All reptiles including turtles are cold-blooded animals, so there’s nothing special about turtles. Just like all reptiles, a turtles body temperature reflects their environment. Most reptile species have their preferred optimal temperature, meaning that their body functions best at that temperature level.

The entire body system relies on the environment they are in; therefore, it is common to find them inactive when they go to colder areas. Some also exhibit reduced metabolism and low appetite if they are not at the right temperatures. Additionally, their immunity also increases when they are in optimal temperatures.

Thus, it is common to find reptiles basking to increase their body temperature and speed up internal functions. Moreover, most of them feed during the day because their bodies are heated up, meaning they have enough energy to hunt.

There are also nocturnal reptiles who don’t need a lot of energy to function; therefore, they mostly live in colder regions. Surprisingly, the reptiles are adapted to survive even without food for a long time. When food is scarce, their bodies lower their metabolism rate to retain the energy they need.

Lastly, since all reptiles reflect the temperatures in their surrounding, their bodies are adapted to survive in different environments. For instance, some lizards can reduce their heartbeats when in cold water, while turtles have streamlined bodies to swim better.

Similarly, some reptiles’ bodies can fall into hibernation when it gets too cold, which is necessary to ensure that they survive even in such extreme conditions. Their heart rate reduces, and so does their metabolism. As a result, they can go for long without food. With these modifications, reptiles can survive in various weather and temperatures.

Is a sea turtle an amphibian or a reptile?

Sea turtles live in oceans and spend most of their lives in water than on land. They prefer warm and shallow seas, but they can also stay in deeper ocean waters. Due to their features and adaptations that make them fit in either class, it is difficult to determine which class they belong to.

So, is a sea turtle an amphibian or a reptile? Sea turtles are reptiles. This is because they have a scaly skin, are cold-blooded, lay eggs, and breathe air. These characteristics are similar to those of reptiles. The only trait sea turtles share with amphibians is their ability to live on land and in water. Sea turtles exist in seven species, including olive ridley, loggerhead, flatback, leatherback, green, hawksbill, and kemp’s ridley sea turtles.

If you want to know whether a sea turtle is an amphibian or reptile, this is the ultimate guide for you. We help you understand whether all turtles are amphibians, what class a turtle is, and why a tortoise is not an amphibian. Read through the rest of the sections and find out all the answers you need.

Are All Turtles Amphibians?

Just like amphibians such as frogs and toads, turtles can live in water and on land. Most of them live around water bodies, with some species spending most of their lives in the water. However, this feature does not make them amphibians.

Turtles are not amphibians but reptiles, as they are scientifically classified in the class Reptilia. Amphibians have smooth permeable, and scaleless skin. Turtles have a hard shell cover that is impermeable to water. Also, like most reptiles, turtles molt their skin. However, this process happens continuously and gradually, unlike in reptiles such as snakes which molt once. Turtles also lay hard-shelled eggs on land.

This implies that even a sea turtle must come to the ground and lay their eggs then go back to the water. This is unlike amphibians which must lay in water as a gelatinous layer surrounds their eggs.

When it comes to the growth process, turtles differ from amphibians. While amphibians have a larval stage in their growth, turtles do not have this growth stage, just like reptiles. Like reptiles, turtles breathe through their lungs, unlike amphibians that use gills during the larval stage and lungs when they are adults. Amphibians also use their skin as a respiratory structure; hence, it is smooth, unlike reptiles, which have dry and scaly skin.

To protect them from predation, turtles have an upper shell called a carapace, and a lower shell called the plastron, which encases their belly. The outer part of this shell has hard scales called scutes covering it.

The shell in aquatic turtles is flat and streamlined, enabling them to dive and swim with minimal water resistance. These shells are also lightweight to prevent the turtles from sinking and allow faster movement in the water. Turtles will hide from their predators by retracting their heads into the shell. The color of these shells may also vary. Common turtle shell colors are brown, olive green, and black, but some shells can also have red, yellow, orange spots, lines, or blotches.

What Class Is a Turtle?

Identifying a turtle’s class can be challenging, with some people grouping it as an amphibian and others as a reptile. These groupings arise from the differences in physical features and environmental adaptations. However, it is important to note that a turtle’s classification into a reptile or amphibian should rely more on its features than adaptations.

Turtles belong to the class Reptilia, the order Testudines, and sub-order Cryptodira. This is because they are cold-blooded, have scaly skin, four legs, and breathe through their lungs just like lizards, crocodiles, and snakes. They also have a three-chambered heart and lay eggs.

Like reptiles, turtles are cold-blooded. This means that their body temperature varies with the environmental temperature. Although they live in or around water, they do not lay their eggs in the water. This is because their eggs are hard-shelled and will survive the harsh conditions and temperatures on land. Usually, the eggs of the large turtle species are spherical while the rest are elongated.

Temperature can also determine the gender of the turtle hatched, with high temperatures causing a female and low temperatures causing a male. Turtles lack mother instincts, and the young turtles will squirm their way and head to the water by themselves after hatching.

While turtles are not amphibians but reptiles, their anatomy will also vary depending on whether they spend most of their life on land or in water. Aquatic turtles have their eyes on top of their heads to see their predators and still hide by submerging their bodies in the water.

They also have strong mouths with their jaws covered with ridges instead of teeth to bite and chew food. These ridges also help carnivorous turtles to slice their prey. They have small tongues useful in swallowing. Thus, turtles do not stick out their tongue to catch food like some reptiles.

To further aid their movement in the water, turtles have webbed feet and long claws. These feet provide their body with thrust as they swim. Therefore, the large turtles will swim faster than the smaller turtles given their large-sized limbs. These long claws also help them to rest on river banks and floating logs as they bask. In males, the long claws are useful in stimulating the female during mating

Sea turtles that spend most of their lives in water have flippers instead of feet. This helps them fly through the water in an up and down motion. The front feet generate thrust while the hind limbs propel their body. The presence of flippers in sea turtles instead of feet and claws limits their mobility on land. This explains why the male sea turtles never leave the sea. However, the female sea turtles will always come back to the ground to lay their eggs.

Why Is the Tortoise Not an Amphibian?

A tortoise is a turtle adapted to living on land, especially in dry areas. Tortoises, unlike turtles, cannot swim as they lack these adaptations. They also spend most of their lives on land and have a bony shell that shields them from their predators. This shell is hard; hence, difficult for the predator to crush with their jaws.

Tortoise is a reptile and not an amphibian, given that it has a body covered in scales, a characteristic of most reptiles. This is unlike amphibians, which have smooth and permeable skin that aids their breathing. Also, tortoises live on land for all their lives with a unique adaptation to dry areas, unlike amphibians living on both land and water.

They also breathe with their lungs and not their skin. Also, tortoise eggs have a hard shell, unlike amphibian eggs, which comprise a gelatinous covering. Tortoises will therefore lay their eggs on land while amphibians lay their eggs in water.

Tortoises have a large dome-shaped shell to protect them from predators. This shell is hard, making it difficult for the predators to crush. When a predator approaches a tortoise, it will hide under the shell by retracting its head and limbs. Amphibians, on the other hand, will emit chemicals on their skin to fight their predators.

The tortoise’s shell is also heavy, explaining their slow movement. Given their large size and heavyweight, tortoises’ hind legs are elephantine to help them move around with ease. However, some amphibians, such as frogs, have strong hind limbs that help them propel their bodies by jumping to run away from their predators.

Finally, just like other reptiles, tortoises also shed their skin. However, most of their dead skin will accumulate into thick plates and protect their body parts outside the shell. This explains why it is easy to determine a tortoise’s age by counting the rings on its shell.

In Summary

Reptiles have been in existence for millions of years thanks to their advanced body systems adaptable to different environments. They are also cold-blooded, meaning that their body temperatures change depending on their environment.

Turtles are like other reptiles when it comes to thermoregulation, which means that if they stay in extreme temperatures, there may be dire consequences. For instance, if they stay in the cold for too long, they may end up getting sick, which is the same case if it’s too hot.

Therefore, if you keep them as pets, you need to ensure that they get the right temperature levels, depending on their species. You can provide a basking area when it gets too cold and some cold water when it’s too hot. Since they are not in the wild, where they are free to move on their own to look for better conditions, pet turtles are quite restricted. Hence, it would be best if you were cautious to keep your pet healthy and happy.

Sea turtles adapt to living in both land and water, but this does not make them amphibians. This is because of their reptile characteristics, including cold-blooded metabolism, scales on the body, they lay eggs, and shed their skin. Sea turtles will spend most of their lives in water and come to the ground to lay eggs, while amphibians will lay their eggs in water. Sea turtles and tortoises also breathe through their lungs, unlike amphibians that use their permeable skin for breathing.

While most sea turtles thrive in aquatic conditions, tortoises, which belong to the same class as turtles, are adapted to living in terrestrial areas. Tortoises have similar characteristics and adaptations to turtles, with a major difference being their environment, shell, and limb structure.

The turtle’s shell is smooth and streamlined to aid their water movement, while the tortoise’s shell is dome-shaped and hard to protect them from predators. The turtle’s limb structure is webbed to aid in their movement in the water, while frogs have normal limbs that provide them with grip on the ground as they move.

Given the above structural and environmental factors, it is evident that both turtles and tortoises are reptiles and not amphibians.

Bal Kang

Bal Kang is an owner of several pets including reptiles, cats and dogs. An avid writer, who loves to share her insights into caring for pets.

Recent Posts