What tortoises live on the Galapagos Islands?
Spanish explorers, who discovered the islands in the 16th century, named them after the Spanish galápago, meaning “tortoise”. The Galápagos tortoises are native to seven of the Galápagos Islands….
| Galápagos tortoise | |
|---|---|
| Family: | Testudinidae |
| Genus: | Chelonoidis |
| Species complex: | Chelonoidis niger complex Fitzinger, 1835 |
| Species |
How many species of Galápagos tortoises are there?
13
There are 13 living species of Galápagos tortoises, which are also sometimes called giant tortoises. These reptiles are among the longest-lived of all land vertebrates, averaging more than a hundred years. The oldest on record lived to be 175.
Which Galapagos island has giant tortoises?
Where to see them: The Santa Cruz highlands and Alcedo Volcano on Isabela have the largest populations of giant tortoises. When to see them: Galapagos giant tortoises are present all year round. They are most active at midday during the cool season and early morning or late afternoon in the hot season.
What animals live on Santa Cruz island Galapagos?
The island is also home to the Charles Darwin Research Station and Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre. Marine life around the island includes; sea turtles, sharks and rays, and on land there are healthy populations of iguana (land and marine), tortoise and many birds – eight different species of finch live here.
Why do Galapagos sharks lie still on the ocean floor?
The juveniles tend to remain in shallow water to avoid predation by the adults. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed this species as least concern, but it has a slow reproductive rate and there is heavy fishing pressure across its range.
Where is Santa Cruz Galapagos?
Situated in the center of the archipelago, Santa Cruz is the second largest island after Isabela. Its capital is Puerto Ayora, the most populated urban centre in the islands….Santa Cruz Island (Galápagos)
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Archipelago | Galápagos Islands |
| Area | 986 km2 (381 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 864 m (2835 ft) |
| Highest point | Cerro Crocker |
Where to find giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands?
Where to see them: The Santa Cruz highlands and Alcedo Volcano on Isabela have the largest populations of giant tortoises. Populations can also be found on Santiago, San Cristobal, Pinzon, and Espanola.
What kind of environment does a giant tortoise live in?
Giant Tortoise Habitat The environment and climate of the Galapagos Isles vary from island to island. Saddle-backed tortoises tend to inhabit the hotter, drier islands with sparse vegetation, whereas Domed tortoises inhabit the cooler, wetter islands with lush ground vegetation.
Which is the extinct species of Galapagos tortoise?
A now-extinct, more flat-shelled form occurred throughout the wetter and higher regions of the island most altered by man when the island was colonized. The type specimen was from this extinct population, so it is possible that the species currently designated C. chathamensis is mistakenly applied.
Where to see giant tortoises on Santa Cruz Island?
The El Chato Reserve is a visitor site that can be accessed on Santa Cruz island to view wild giant tortoises on your own. Accessible from Santa Rosa, on the outskirts of Puerto Ayora, the trails here are often overgrown, slippery and potentially dangerous.
