Gimme Shell-ter

The inside scoop on Galápagos tortoises

We tend to think of a tortoise’s protective shell as an external structure that encloses the body. It’s not. A tortoise’s shell is made up of fused bones—part of its skeleton. You’ll never see a turtle or a tortoise walk out of its shell!

BY Donna Parham

Illustrations by Amy Blandford

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