The family Testudinidae, belonging to the order Testudines, comprises the land-dwelling tortoises. These reptiles are characterized by a high-domed, rigid shell, sturdy elephantine legs, and adaptations for a terrestrial lifestyle, including slow metabolism and the ability to store water. Testudinids are primarily herbivorous, feeding on grasses, leaves, fruits, and other vegetation, and they inhabit a range of environments from deserts to forests across Africa, Asia, the Americas, and some islands. Many species are long-lived and exhibit slow growth and late sexual maturity. As terrestrial reptiles, they play important ecological roles in seed dispersal and vegetation management.