CNN customn news: extinct lightweight racing tortoises

[Betty Cunningham <bettyc@flyinggoat.com>]

This is a CNN custom news article. if you can't access the URl, try
registering at CNN for your own custom news to access the article.
 
excerpt:
 "In the Mascarene islands there were no large
 predators, so the tortoises adapted to the island 
life by reducing the thickness of their shell to 
the bare minimum, and having much larger openings 
for the legs and head. This would have reduced the 
weight of the shell enormously, leading to the    
possibility that these animals were the world's 
only lightweight racing tortoise." 

http://customnews.cnn.com/cnews/pna.show_story?p_art_id=3024073&p_section_name=&p_art_type=652817&p_subcat=reptiles&p_category=animals