Turtle

Similar in appearance, but much greater in size than their real-life counterparts, World of Warcraft turtles range in level from level 16 to over 50 Elite.

Background

Turtles of different species are found all over Azeroth. One of the most famous species is the giant sea turtles used by the goblins during the Second War. They were originally believed to be native only to the South Seas have also been discovered in Northrend.

One of the demigods in the War of the Ancients was a reptilian warrior with a shell reminiscent of a turtle.Template:Cite

Notes

The most important distinction between the different kinds of turtles is which drop Turtle Scales and which do not. In general, turtles of a higher level have a better chance of dropping Turtle Scales. The turtles in Dustwallow Marsh rarely drop scales, while the ones in Tanaris may drop two or three at a time. The turtles in Thousand Needles never drop scales. Farming Turtle Scales is the primary reason to kill a turtle.

Along with the previously mentioned zones, turtles can also be found in the Barrens, Blackfathom Deeps, the Hillsbrad Foothills, Alterac, Maraudon, and Azshara.

Tortoises (land turtles) are pretty much interchangeable with turtles in the game, since they all look the same. You can assume it is a tortoise if it doesn't appear near a large body of water (lake, river, or sea).

Some turtles can grow to enormous sizes. During the Second War, the Orcs used them as submersible war machines. Their shells were so large that several Orcs could fit inside them, and they attached goblin-made rockets to the top of their shells.

The goblins themselves also seem to have taken up turtles as a mount; a pair of mounted goblins can be seen on turtles in Booty Bay.