It's Alive Animals

Studying giant tortoise flips without tipping the animals over is a delicate business

When getting back on their feet, shell shape matters for these reptiles

saddleback tortoise

ROOM TO REACH An extreme shell form called a saddleback on some species of Galápagos giant tortoises raises questions about how shape matters.

Y. Chiari

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

It would be a memorable sight. But it would also be so wrong to tip over Galápagos giant tortoises to see how shell shape affects their efforts to leg-pump, neck-stretch and rock right-side up again.