The Turtapod is an enemy in Final Fantasy VIII. It is a small turtle that can defend itself, and also fly to attack. It is notable for the Angelo Search trick.
At LV30+, in response to a physical attack, Turtapod can retreat to a defensive mode where it curls up to buffer itself against damage for a few turns. Its attacks are otherwise weak and it is of no threat.
Infinite Angelo Searching with a Turtapod from FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered
The best-known Angelo Search item farming trick involves this enemy: after Turtapod has retreated into its shell, the player can cast Confuse on it, and the Turtapod will never come out of its shell unless it's been hit first. The player can then leave the game on and let Rinoa's dogAngelo come and search again and again (there is no limit how many times the player can get Angelo Search in one battle, though getting her to appear many times takes time—once the process has started, the player can leave the game on e.g. overnight). In the Remastered version, the player can also aid the process by using the x3 speed boost. If Gilgamesh has been recruited he may appear to ruin the process, so the player needs to hope for Excalipoor and then continue after Gilgamesh has left; he only appears once per battle.
Its Japanese name is Granatum, which is Latin for pomegranate. "Granatum" is the etymological root of "garnet", which may could link in with the red stone at Turtapod's core.
The name Turtapod likely comes from "turtle" (referencing the appearance of its lower section) and "pod" (referencing how its top half is a container for its core).
