Icon of the Galapagos
Spent a day with these gentle giants while visiting the Galapagos Islands. A day to be remembered.
The Galapagos giant tortoise is a very large species of tortoise in the genus Chelonoidis. It is the largest living species of tortoise and can weigh up to 417 kg (919 lbs). They are also the largest terrestrial cold-blooded animals.
With lifespans of over 100 years, it is one of the longest-lived vertebrates. Captive Galapagos tortoises can live up to 177 years. Spanish explorers, who discovered the islands in the 16th century, named them after the Spanish galápago, meaning "tortoise."
Galapagos tortoises are native to seven of the Galapagos Islands. Shell size and shape vary between subspecies and populations. On islands with humid highlands, the tortoises are larger, with domed shells and short necks; on islands with dry lowlands, the tortoises are smaller, with "saddleback" shells and long necks. Charles Darwin's observations of these differences on the second voyage of the Beagle in 1835, contributed to the development of his theory of evolution.
Tortoise numbers declined from over 250,000 in the 16th century to a low of around 15,000 in the 1970s. This decline was caused by overexploitation of the subspecies for meat and oil, habitat clearance for agriculture, and introduction of non-native animals to the islands, such as rats, goats, and pigs.
Photo Credit Mrs. Kelley - Nikon D5600, 18-300/f/6.3, 1/500 @ f/6.3, ISO 2800, edited to taste)
Icon of the Galapagos
Spent a day with these gentle giants while visiting the Galapagos Islands. A day to be remembered.
The Galapagos giant tortoise is a very large species of tortoise in the genus Chelonoidis. It is the largest living species of tortoise and can weigh up to 417 kg (919 lbs). They are also the largest terrestrial cold-blooded animals.
With lifespans of over 100 years, it is one of the longest-lived vertebrates. Captive Galapagos tortoises can live up to 177 years. Spanish explorers, who discovered the islands in the 16th century, named them after the Spanish galápago, meaning "tortoise."
Galapagos tortoises are native to seven of the Galapagos Islands. Shell size and shape vary between subspecies and populations. On islands with humid highlands, the tortoises are larger, with domed shells and short necks; on islands with dry lowlands, the tortoises are smaller, with "saddleback" shells and long necks. Charles Darwin's observations of these differences on the second voyage of the Beagle in 1835, contributed to the development of his theory of evolution.
Tortoise numbers declined from over 250,000 in the 16th century to a low of around 15,000 in the 1970s. This decline was caused by overexploitation of the subspecies for meat and oil, habitat clearance for agriculture, and introduction of non-native animals to the islands, such as rats, goats, and pigs.
Photo Credit Mrs. Kelley - Nikon D5600, 18-300/f/6.3, 1/500 @ f/6.3, ISO 2800, edited to taste)