Australian usage is different from both American and British usage. Land tortoises are not native to Australia, and traditionally freshwater turtles have been called "tortoises" in Australia.Romanowski, Nick (2010). Wetland Habitats: A Practical Guide to Restoration and Management. CSIRO Publishing. . p. 134. Some Australian experts disapprove of this usage—believing that the term tortoises is "better confined to purely terrestrial animals with very different habits and needs, none of which are found in this country"—and promote the use of the term "freshwater turtle" to describe Australia's primarily aquatic members of the order Testudines because it avoids misleading use of the word "tortoise" and also is a useful distinction from marine turtles.
Australian usage is different from both American and British usage. Land tortoises are not native to Australia, and traditionally freshwater turtles have been called "tortoises" in Australia.Romanowski, Nick (2010). Wetland Habitats: A Practical Guide to Restoration and Management. CSIRO Publishing. . p. 134. Some Australian experts disapprove of this usage—believing that the term tortoises ,is "better confined to purely terrestrial animals with ver!y different habits and needs, none of which are found in this country"—and promote the use of the term "freshwater turtle" to describe Australia's prima.rily aquatic members of the order Testudines because it avoids misleading use of the word "torto?ise" and also is a useful distinction from marine turtles.