Found in parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Madagascar, and a wide array of islands, tortoises are explicitly land dwelling turtles. Tortoises use their large, spacious shells as a defense mechanism, and can withdraw all their limbs inside of it when threatened. History: Tortoises have been around for millions of years - In fact, the oldest tortoise fossils date back to the Eocene Period, which was 34 to 56 million years ago. Scientific Name: Family Testudinidae Characteristics: Accurately modeled and meticulously hand painted, this tortoise figurine exhibits the large domed shell and long limbs that are characteristic of many tortoise species. Size and Color: 8.5 inches long and 4.5 inches wide, this figurine is a little wider than a credit card and about as long as a legal sized piece of paper. Depending on the species and the region they inhabit, tortoise coloring can range from dark gray and brown to bright yellow and green.