Turtles Are Not Pure Evil

New YouTube research definitively proves that turtle society is highly altruistic and that Disney's heretofore refusal to make a movie about them is racism, pure and simple.

More like this

Interesting. Could the helper-turtle have had an ulterior motive?

The upside down tortoise has a flat plastron, so it is likely a female. One wonders if the other tortoise is a male. Any tortoise experts out there?

By Jim Thomerson (not verified) on 03 Jul 2010 #permalink

Just to throw this into the waters:

I love evolutionary biology even though it is not at all my field of expertise. However, is there ever a time when animals perform altruistic acts, not in order to pass on their genes, but rather, because it would help another member of their species survive, or for that matter, another species?

Did anyone else find themselves "pushing" with the tortoise as you sat at the computer? I'm exhausted.

This is basically the greatest video I've seen. not that i ever thought that tortoises were evil at all, but this just solidifies it! i can honestly say that I've never seen anything like that happening, and it's never occurred to me that a tortoise would even do that. it makes me wonder whether it was intentional or it it just pushed the other out of curiosity or something? either way, it's wonderful. Good Video!

Absolutely awesome....whether intentional or not... always a good time to anthropomorphize animals... glad to have found your blog through the Nature Blogs Network....we're two wildlife biologists who are new to the network. Happy to follow your blogging adventures :)

i can honestly say that I've never seen anything like that happening, and it's never occurred to me that a tortoise would even do that. it makes me wonder whether it was intentional or it it just pushed the other out of curiosity or something? either way, it's wonderful. Good Video!Not even remotely close to Hawaii, but Haeckel tattoos deserve some kind of shout-out anyway. Or am I stating the obvious here?The upside down tortoise has a flat plastron, so it is likely a female. One wonders if the other tortoise is a male. Any tortoise experts out there?