"Like a turtle do!"
— Hamato Michelangelo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012)
Tropes related to turtles, tortoises and other tenacious terrapins of trepidatious turpitude!
Sub-Index of Reptile and Amphibian Tropes.
Tropes
- Earthy Tortoise: Tortoises associated with the element of Earth.
- Flipping Helpless: Turtles are completely helpless when they're flipped onto their backs
- Kappa: Often called a "turtle Yōkai" for its various, turtle-like characteristics.
- Removable Shell: Tortoise and turtle shells treated as removable articles of clothing.
- Shell Backpack: When an anthropomorphic turtle wears clothing that covers only the front of their shell.
- Shy Shelled Animal: Expect a turtle to retract into its shell at the first sign of danger.
- Speedy Snail: Despite the name, turtles and other slow moving animals being depicted as moving faster than they do in real life or faster than people perceive them as.
- Studded Shell: Turtle and tortoise shells weaponized with Spikes of Doom.
- Sturdy and Steady Turtles: Fictional turtles portrayed as preposterously slow but patient, determined, and/or well-defended.
- Turtle Island: Turtles big enough to be mistaken for islands or even whole continents.
- Turtle Shield: Turtles and tortoises (and/or their shells) are protective.
- Wise Old Turtle: Tortoises or turtles portrayed as both very old and very wise.
"I like turtles."