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Most of us grew up pointing at anything with a shell and calling it kura-kura. But as it turns out, we've been lumping a few very different creatures together.
It's something you don't really think about until you spot one at the beach and go, "Eh, which one is this ah?"
Let's clear it up once and for all.
There are actually three main types, and each one lives a different life, depending on whether it calls the ocean, land, or freshwater home.
Kura-kura refers to tortoises that live on land or semi-terrestrial environments
What Malaysians call kura-kura thrives on land or close to the water's edge, not in the open sea. These animals have harder, domed shells and stubby legs built for walking rather than gliding across oceans.
In English, kura-kura is known as a tortoise, which can be easily confused with a turtle.
Penyu is the one you see swimming in the sea, not chilling on land
When someone says penyu, they usually mean sea turtles — with flat shells, paddle-like flippers, and a life spent mostly in saltwater.
According to The State of the World's Sea Turtles, there are seven different species of sea turtles and six of them are found in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
Finally, labi-labi is a river swimmer, not a beach lounger
The term labi-labi refers to soft-shell turtles and they feature noticeably different anatomy.
According to Britannica, they have a soft, leathery shell, a long snout, and a neck that can stretch high above the water to breathe or stay alert.
Labi-labi are hard to find as they spend most of their time buried in mud, sand, or hiding underwater. Surprisingly, Malaysia is home to giant labi-labi, with some weighing between 20kg and 30kg.
