Food
Herbivore
Tortoises eat grass, leaves, flowers and fruit.
Plant eater
HomeAnimals A–ZLetter TTortoise
Tortoise Facts for Kids: T Is for Tortoise
Tortoises live on land and walk on sturdy, elephant-like legs. Giant tortoises can live for more than 100 years. Here are easy tortoise facts for kids: what tortoises eat, how big they grow, what a baby tortoise is called and where tortoises live. Read them out loud, try the quiz, then color the letter T.
Reptiletype
Herbivorediet
Hatchlingbaby name
Fun facts
Fun Facts About Tortoises
Two more true facts about the tortoise that kids love. Tap the button to hear the name, then read each fact together.
Tt
Say “Tortoise”
Tortoise starts with the letter T. Clap once for each part of the word as you say it.
1
Did you know?
Some tortoises live for more than 150 years.
2
One more fact
Tortoises live on land and cannot swim like sea turtles.
Act it outMove like a tortoise for ten seconds.
Spot the letterFind the letter T in “Tortoise”.
Ask a questionWhat would a tortoise eat for breakfast?
Quick facts
Tortoise Facts at a Glance
Everything a curious kid wants to know about the tortoise, in eight short cards.
Size
How big?
A tortoise is from 10 cm to 1.5 m long.
Body sizeLife
How long?
Tortoises live for about 80 to 150 years.
LifespanBaby
Hatchling
A baby tortoise is called a hatchling.
Baby nameGroup
Creep
A group of tortoises is called a creep.
Group nameHabitat
Grasslands
Tortoises are found in deserts and grasslands worldwide.
Where they liveAnimal type
Reptile
Tortoises live on land and walk on sturdy, elephant-like legs. Giant tortoises can live for more than 100 years.
Tortoise is a reptileLetter
T is for tortoise
Tortoise has 8 letters and starts with T.
Say: Tortoise
Quick quiz
Tortoise Quiz for Kids
A tiny game to check what stuck. Read the question out loud and let your little one tap the answer.
Question 1
Score: 0
Free download
Free printable
Tortoise Coloring Page: Letter T Worksheet
Done reading about the tortoise? Print the free letter T sheet, say “T is for tortoise” together and color the big letters. Great for circle time, morning work or a quiet afternoon at home.
1
Download the PDFOne click, no sign-up or email
2
Print at home or schoolFits US Letter and A4 paper
3
Color and traceBig letters and dotted tracing lines
Uppercase TLowercase tTracing practiceFind the T animals
Download Free PDF
3 pages, black & white
Questions
All FAQs
Tortoise Questions Kids Ask
Tortoises eat grass, leaves, flowers and fruit. That makes the tortoise a herbivore, which means it is a plant eater.
A tortoise is from 10 cm to 1.5 m long.
Tortoises live for about 80 to 150 years.
A baby tortoise is called a hatchling.
A group of tortoises is called a creep.
Tortoises live in deserts and grasslands worldwide. Their favorite habitat is: grasslands.
Yes. The tortoise is a reptile. Tortoises live on land and walk on sturdy, elephant-like legs. Giant tortoises can live for more than 100 years.
Tortoise starts with the letter T. Say it slowly and listen for the T sound at the start.
Keep exploring
All T animals
More Animals Like the Tortoise
Other T animals and more reptiles to read about next.
Mammal
Tigers are the biggest wild cats in the world. No two tigers have the same pattern of stripes.
Lives in: Forests Read tiger factsReptile
A turtle’s shell is part of its skeleton, so it can never crawl out of it. Many turtles can pull their head inside the shell to hide.
Lives in: Lakes Read turtle factsReptile
Green iguanas can grow to about 5 feet long, and much of that is tail. They often live in trees near water and are strong swimmers.
Lives in: Rainforests Read iguana factsReptile
Pythons are big snakes that squeeze their food instead of using venom. Mother pythons coil around their eggs to keep them safe.
Lives in: Rainforests Read python facts