While the finch may be the most significant creature in the Galapagos, the 15,000 tortoises that roam the islands are among the most unique. I've tried to express just how unique they are in this closeup image of a tortoise, made as it was drawing its head back under its protective shell. The armored treads on its huge legs tell us that these tortoises move not only by foot, but also by knee and thigh. There is also armor on the chest, and of course it carries a massive shell on its back. Perhaps all of this protection is why some of them have lived to be 150 to 200 years old.