Tortoise Rhymes

I am the slow and steady one,

In ‘The hare and tortoise’ story, the race who won,

For being slow, I may be mocked,

But to the world a great lesson I’ve taught!

I am the tortoise, a reptile,

A hard shell I carry on my back in style,

By my foes when I am attacked,

Into my shell I quickly retract.

I have a short and pointed tail,

Short limbs, thick claws and a skin with scales,

I have no teeth but horny beaks,

I eat grass, fruits, leaves and weeds.

I am seen in many a type,

From tiny to rather huge in size,

My cousins, the turtles live in water,

I live on land near water.

In color I’m grey, green, yellow or brown,

I lay eggs in burrows called nests in the ground,

Once hatched, my hatchlings are on their own,

To have long lives we are known!