Can turtles run? How fast do they really go? Everything you need to know about the speed and capabilities of turtles!
Turtles are definitely some of the slowest animals that people decide to keep as pets. It makes them quite interesting simply because they are always there for us and they do not require a lot of maintenance. What is more, they rarely ever run away and even if they do, it is very easy to catch. But is it really such a case? Can turtles sprint or at least run faster than we think? In some cases, they surely can! There are a number of turtle species that can go faster than we may imagine.
Although it doesn’t mean that they will be as fast as a dog or a horse, they will surely surprise with what they can offer. Today I would like to use my 20-years experience as a turtle owner. I had several different species of these pets under my roof and there are surely a lot of interesting novelties you didn’t know about these animals. So, if you ever wish to find out how fast do turtles walk or whether they can go faster than some other animals, here is a quick explanation of questions I frequently receive.
First of all, are all turtles slow?
Generally, no, not all turtles are slow. However, we need to remember that there are turtles, which are mostly maritime animals, as well as tortoises, land animals that rarely ever visit larger chunks of water – only to bathe or drink. Turtles, on the other hand, thrive under water and, as a result, they should be kept in the tank with lots of water inside. They can and will, from time to time, visit land, but this is not their main domain.
Most turtles or tortoises are quite slow if we compare them to other pet animals that people like to keep. For example, there is no way that we will ever find a turtle or a tortoise that, on land, is faster than dogs. It is mainly because of their anatomy and the fact that throughout the thousands years of evolution speed was never an important factor in the life and wellbeing of turtles.
Why are turtles slow?
No need to hunt for food
Firstly, they never had to use their speed to hunt for food. Yes, in some cases they hunt fishes, snails, or insects ->did you know that turtle can eat flies?. However, in such situations a much more important aspect of a successful hunt is precision rather than speed. What is more, even if they can’t find these nutritional values, they are more than okay with eating plants.
Shell
Another important fact that indicates the slowness as the domain of turtles is their protection. Why would they need to run from threat, when they simply can use their shell? This is the most prominent layer of protection against other animals and more.
Body characteristics
Another important thing is that they are quite heavy (in most cases) and, also, their metabolism is very slow. As a result, they burn energy slowly.
However, there is a wide range of turtles and tortoises with many variations in terms of their physique as well as behavior at selected situations. As a result, some turtles are more aggressive, some others are more evasive, and others can be quite fast for a turtle or a tortoise.
What is the maximum speed of turtles in water?
There are several different contenders for the winner of the fastest turtle in water. Nevertheless, numerous scientific journals and “tests” proved that the fastest turtle in water is, simply, the family of sea turtles. In this family, there is one particular species that dominates the charts, and it is the Leatherback turtle.
They are capable of reaching more than 20 miles per hour, which is approximately 32 kilometers per hour. Interestingly, baby sea turtles of this species are capable of reaching ever higher speeds – up to 25 miles per hour within the first 30 hours after they are born.
What about turtles on land?
Generally, it is said that turtles move at the speed of 3 miles or 5 kilometers an hour on land. However, particular species can be five times quicker. For example, softshell turtles are capable of traveling at the speed of 15 miles (25 kilometers) per hour. It is all due to their lightweight characteristics and the fact that, as the name suggests, their shells are not as robust as in the case of other turtles. Thanks to that, they can move limbs more freely.
How fast can a tortoise run on land?
Tortoises, in contrast to some of the turtle species, are all very slow. They are even heavier than turtles and their shells limit their movements even more. As a result, it is difficult to even say about being the fastest – rather the least slow of them all. In most cases tortoises move at the speed of 0.13 to 0.3 miles an hour (which is roughly 0.2 to 0.5 kilometers an hour). Their “sprint” is almost twice as fast. However, it is still incredibly slow. The fastest tortoise on earth, namely Bertie, is capable of “sprinting” at the speed of 0.6 miles an hour, which is 1 kilometer an hour. Bertie is a Leopard Tortoise.
How does the turtles’ speed compare to other “speedsters”?
Quite a lot of people wonder how the speed of turtles compare to other animals. Usually, these are rather hilarious comparisons mainly due to the fact that the turtles (or tortoises) are rather slow. Still, there are several other animals that can move slower.
What’s faster, a snail or a turtle?
The fastest snail that is at the moment known to the world is Cornu Aspersum, which is simply a garden snail. It is capable of achieving 0,048 kilometers per hour, which is almost 0.03 miles per hour. The fastest individual, namely Archie the snail, was capable of achieving the speed that was 0.1 kilometers per hour or 0.06 miles per hour. Still, it is incredibly slow and surely there isn’t the singlest turtle (or even tortoise) that is slower than the faster snail around.
What about specific species?
Obviously, there is a gigantic difference between one turtle (or tortoise) and another. It is mainly because of their different shape of shells, their durability, and the limitations the shell imposes on turtles’ extremities.
Can box turtles run fast?
In most cases box turtles stay on land. Their average speed is at the level of 0.17 miles per hour, which is approximately 0.3 kilometers per hour. However, they are capable of “sprinting”, which then provides them with the speed of 0.25 miles per hour or 0.4 kilometers per hour.
Can cooter turtles run fast?
If you think about the latest turtles you can keep in the pond, then cooter turtles are the ones. These guys can travel at the speed of 1.07 miles per hour, which is 1.6 kilometers per hour. However, they are quicker in water. There, their speed is approximately 1.7 miles per hour, which translates into 3 kilometers per hour.
Can turtles run? Of course they can!
They just do it very rarely because there is simply no need for a fast pace and for increased usage of energy they store. Still, most of the turtles we know and keep as pets are pretty slow and even if they do run, it doesn’t seem like a sprint, more like a jog. Obviously, we have to bear in mind that there are numerous species out there and even if we don’t know that, there are turtles that can surprise us with its speed – if not on land, then definitely in the sea.
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