Talk:List of piscine and amphibian humanoids

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

I recently added the following line to this In fiction list:

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, including Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael

This edit was reverted in good faith by Serendipodous, who wrote:

Reverted good faith edits by Allixpeeke (talk): Those are reptiles. (TW)

After reading this, I checked out the turtle page. The first three words are, "Turtles are reptiles," which would appear to corroborate Serendipodous's rational.

But, I also scrolled down, and found the following paragraph:

Amphibious turtles [emphasis added] normally have limbs similar to those of tortoises, except the feet are webbed and often have long claws. These turtles swim using all four feet in a way similar to the dog paddle, with the feet on the left and right side of the body alternately providing thrust. Large turtles tend to swim less than smaller ones, and the very big species, such as alligator snapping turtles, hardly swim at all, preferring to walk along the bottom of the river or lake. As well as webbed feet, turtles have very long claws, used to help them clamber onto riverbanks and floating logs upon which they bask. Male turtles tend to have particularly long claws, and these appear to be used to stimulate the female while mating. While most turtles have webbed feet, some, such as the pig-nosed turtle, have true flippers, with the digits being fused into paddles and the claws being relatively small. These species swim in the same way as sea turtles do (see below).

So, this would seem to indicate (assuming it is correct) that there are such things as amphibious turtles, which would merit the inclusion of the TMNTs on this list.

Moreover, and most importantly, I seem to remember the TMNTs being described in the original cartoon (the one that started in the '80s) as amphibious, which would explain their good swimming ability.

On the other hand, the description of amphibious turtles provided in this paragraph above does not seem to match the TMNTs. I do not think the fingers or toes of the TMNTs appeared particularly webbed, and they possessed regular humanoid nails as opposed to claws. And that would seem to lend credence, again, to Serendipodous's rational.

Now, I haven't watched TMNT in quite a long time, and as such, I recognise that my memory may be imperfect. While I seem to recall the TMNTs being described as amphibious, perhaps I am misremembering, and Serendipodous was right to revert my edit. Or, perhaps my memory does serve me well, and we should re-add the TMNTs to the list.

Do any of you reading this remember the show well enough to say definitively one way or another? Please weigh in below.

(And, in weighing in, please keep in mind that there have been multiple incarnations of the TMNTs, including comics, at least three animated T.V. series, one live-action T.V. series, and a semi-live action semi-animated film series; it may be the case that the turtles are amphibious in one incarnation and reptilian in another, so please be clear below which incarnation you are referencing. (I've even read recently that Michael Bay is planning a TMNT film series where the turtles aren't even Earthlings, but are instead aliens, as utterly stupid as that sounds—but I digress.))

Thanks,
allixpeeke (talk) 01:00, 30 September 2013 (UTC)

P.S. Either way, methinks the TMNT should be included on either the List of piscine and amphibian humanoids or the List of reptilian humanoids (or both lists, if it turns out that they are indeed amphibious in one incarnation and reptilian in another).

You appear to be confusing the words "amphibian" and "amphibious". "Amphibious" means "capable of existing in both land and water," as turtles are. An amphibian is a creature possessing both lungs and gills, which turtles certainly do not. Millitaries around the world possess amphibious vehicles, but they are not amphibians. The TMNT are already listed as reptilian humanoids. Serendi^podous 17:05, 30 September 2013 (UTC)

Thank you, Serendi^podous, for your further comment.  That indeed does help clarify the matter.  I don’t know why I seem to remember the TMNTs being able to breathe underwater, but I guess we can likely chuck that up to either (A) faulty memory on my part or (B) a misunderstanding of the animal class of turtles on the part of the writers of the original cartoon.

Suffice it to say, I see you are correct that the TMNTs are included List of reptilian humanoids, and I feel satisfied for now.  Until such a point as someone can solve the mystery of why I am remembering (or misremembering, as the case probably is) the TMNTs breathing underwater, I'm comfortable with leaving the TMNTs on only the reptilian list, as opposed to both lists.

Best,

allixpeeke (talk) 20:35, 30 September 2013 (UTC)

Might as well leave this here. Serendi^podous 22:10, 10 March 2020 (UTC)