One rises above them all when talking sheer mass: the Galápagos giant tortoise. Thought to have migrated to the area from South America 2 to 3 million years prior, these often sociable reptiles ...

They are the third largest species of tortoise in the world, after the Galapagos tortoise and the Aldabra giant tortoise. Abigail Hardwick, animal officer at Tropical World, said the group were ...

There are more tortoises than humans on this UNESCO World Heritage Site – in fact, it’s home to the largest wild Aldabra giant tortoise population in the world Esmeralda is a rather remarkable ...

Growing more than 10 feet (3 meters) long, Protostega was among the largest turtles to ever live. Unlike most turtles, whose shells are made of expanded and fused bones that form a relatively ...

This story appears in the June 2019 issue of National Geographic magazine. The first time a tortoise walked through my hut at Middle Camp on Aldabra Atoll, I was amazed. I grabbed my camera and ...

Tortoises are not known to have sentimental lifestyles, which is why this heartwarming moment caught on camera is so unique.