How to tell a soft-shell turtle from a tortoise?

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A soft-shell turtle has a relatively soft shell that looks flat and smooth, mostly yellow-green or dark green. A tortoise has a harder shell with clear patterns, in colors like yellow-green, gray, black or dark green.

A tortoise has a round head with patterns on the head and limbs, no teeth, and generally will not bite. A soft-shell turtle has a pointed head and a neck that extends far, but its limbs cannot retract; it has teeth and may bite when provoked.

Finally, soft-shell turtles grow quickly and can reach market size in about a year, while tortoises grow more slowly.

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