In cartoons, when a turtle is spooked, it retreats into and closes up its shell. While used for comic effect, this imagery is based in fact – although not all turtles are capable of this protective ...

Turtle shells evolved over the course of 300 million years, but self-defense wasn't the initial driver, researchers think.

If you happen to be wandering the Mojave Desert and come across a desert tortoise, don’t poke around the critter too closely—you could end up covered with a surprise spray of artificial grape fluid.

In cartoons, when a turtle is spooked, it retreats into and closes up its shell. While used for comic effect, this imagery is based in fact — although not all turtles are capable of this protective ...