´óÏó´«Ã½

Why do tortoises look different in different parts of the world? Animation describing how different tortoises have developed different characteristics. Sam, a young tortoise, asks Grandad Charlie if tortoises all look the same. Grandad Charlie tells Sam why some tortoises look different. Long ago, tortoises living on an island with plenty of food all looked the same. Sometimes tortoises went to different islands where food was scarce and higher up from the ground, so it was more difficult for them to reach. After a long time, some tortoises were born with longer legs and necks, allowing them to feed more easily. Some had shells which were a different shape to allow them to stretch upwards. These tortoises survived the best. On other islands, there was plenty of food and water and no predators, so tortoises here could grow very large. Some of their young were born bigger and over many generations they became giant tortoises.