![]() ![]() In 2012, Lonesome George – the last remaining survivor of his species, the Pinta tortoise – died on his home of Pinta Island. ![]() The death of one tortoise sparked a surge of global awareness These giant tortoises were once so prevalent in the island archipelago off the coast of Ecuador, that the Spanish explorers there in the mid 1500’s named the islands for them – the name ‘Galapago’ means ‘tortoise’ in Spanish.Ĭharles Darwin noted with astonishment that each of the 13 larger islands in the Galapagos chain had its own slightly different breed of giant tortoise.Įach of the separate subspecies had adapted specifically for life on their own island – sparking his theory of evolution. The Galapagos Islands were named after the tortoise They are on their own from the beginning. After mating, the females lay their eggs in nest holes on the ground, which they cover up and leave.Īfter an incubation period of 4 to 8 months, the baby tortoises hatch and burrow through the sand and soil to reach the surface. Mating can last several hours, and the males make a roaring sound during the process. These species are found on the large and more humid islands, where there is lots of food to eat on the ground and more low-lying vegetation.īreeding generally happens during the dry, hot season between January and May, although mating can happen at other times of the year. The dome-shelled tortoises lack this notch, meaning their ability to lift their heads is restricted. These are found in the drier and more arid of the islands, where there is less vegetation on the ground. The saddle-backed tortoises have saddle shaped shells with a high notch above the head, allowing their necks to reach up higher to eat vegetation off trees and bushes. Galapagos tortoises have two main shell types: domed and saddle backed. The females of the species are generally smaller. They are very large in size and the larger males can reach lengths of up to 6 feet from head to tail, 4 or 5 feet over the curvature of their shell, and a weight of up to 880lbs. At least 2 subspecies are now sadly extinct. It is generally agreed that there are now 13 different living subspecies of giant tortoise, although some are so closely similar that it took some time to identify whether they were in fact separate species or not. Galapagos hawk, dogs, rats (during egg stage and infancy) Highlands, warm-hot, dry climate, vegetated areas, scrubland Galápagos Tortoise Facts Overview Habitat: These giant beasts are best known for the fact that they inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, after his legendary expedition in 1835. They migrated from South America to the Galapagos Islands between two and three million years ago, probably during a large storm.Īfter migration occured, the species underwent diversification and split into around 15 subspecies, with different distribution and some differences in size and form. ![]() The Galápagos giant tortoises are native to the Pacific island archipelago of the same name, and they are fascinating and ancient creatures. ![]()
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