kilpkonnad, õigemini kilpkonnalised (Testudines), anapsiidide (Anapsida) alamklassi kuuluv luulise kilprüüga roomajate selts; 210-250 liiki
any member of the Chelonia, an ancient order of reptiles chiefly characterized by a shell that encloses the vital organs of the body and more or less protects the head and limbs
Two common names are in wide use: “tortoise” and “turtle.” “Tortoise” is applied in the British Isles to all members of the group except the few marine species, all of which have paddle-shaped limbs. “Turtle” has long been much more broadly applied in the United States, with the addition of “terrapin” for some edible species. Usage both in the British Isles and in the United States has left the group without a general name comparable to “bird” or “mammal.” The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists standardized the common names of the reptiles found in the United States, assigning “turtle” to all of those with a shell. The name “tortoise” is employed secondarily for the slow-moving terrestrial species, primarily those of the genera Testudo and Gopherus.
