Turtle or Tortoise ? Sanibel has Some Amazing Sightings!

We would have to admit that when people think of Sanibel Island, many beautiful things come to mind.

There is the Gulf of Mexico, never more than a stone's throw away, no matter where you stay.

There are the shells , so numerous and so lovely, Sanibel ranks in the top three shell collecting destinations in the world.

There is great fishing for the fishermen and great birding for the birders.

And the island offers something special  for people of all ages from restaurants to shops to water sports.

And among the visual delights are our turtles, tortoises and terrapins.

And here is a primer on how you can tell the difference in the three:

Turtle— Spends most of its life in the water. Turtles tend to have webbed feet for swimming. Sea turtles (Cheloniidae family) are especially adapted for an aquatic life, with long feet that form flippers and a streamlined body shape. They rarely leave the ocean, except when the females come ashore to lay their eggs, although some species, such as the green sea turtle, do come out on reefs and beaches to bask. Other turtles live in fresh water, like ponds and lakes. They swim, but they also climb out onto banks, logs, or rocks to bask in the sun. In cold weather, they may burrow into the mud, where they go into torpor until spring brings warm weather again.

Tortoise— A land-dweller that eats low-growing shrubs, grasses, and even cactus. Tortoises do not have webbed feet; their feet are round and stumpy for walking on land. Tortoises that live in hot, dry habitats use their strong forelimbs to dig burrows. Then, when it’s too hot in the sun, they slip underground.

Terrapin— Spends its time both on land and in water, but it always lives near water, along rivers, ponds, and lakes. Terrapins are often found in brackish, swampy areas. The word “terrapin” comes from an Algonquian word for turtle.

One of our unusual looking turtles is the Leatherback.  Leatherback sea turtles and softshell turtles have a rounded, flattened carapace, and the entire shell is covered with tough, leathery skin supported by tiny bones. The shell’s bone elements are reduced, making the shell flexible for swimming and diving. Leatherback turtles dive up to 3,000 feet (900 meters) below the ocean surface; at this depth, the incredible water pressure would crush a turtle with a heavy shell and less flexible body.

Our most famous tortoise is the Gopher Tortoise. Gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) and their burrows are protected on Sanibel. Tortoise burrows can be found on almost any upland area on the island, although the largest concentrations of tortoises are now on conservation lands.

Sanibel's  diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is one of a few species (actually the only New World) of turtles that are adapted to live in brackish environments.  The diamondback terrapin ranges from Cape Cod, MA to Corpus Christi Bay along the Texas Gulf Coast. They exist only along the coastline in water that is a mixture of fresh and salt water. Depending on rainfall and time of year, the salinity (salt content) of the water can be identical to pure sea water, or higher, or close to 50% fresh/salt water. Their main habitats are salt marshes and mangrove waterways. Along the east coast of the United States (from Cape Cod, MA to Miami, FL) they are inhabitants of salt marshes. From the Florida Keys to the Florida panhandle, they live mostly in mangrove creeks and waterways. They again exist in salt marshes from the western Florida panhandle to Texas.

With very little effort, turtles , tortoises and terrapins can easily been seen on Sanibel...and well worth the look!