Habitat: Galapagos Islands
Status: Vulnerable
DAK Locale: Discovery Island Trails
The Galapagos tortoise is one of the largest reptiles on Earth. In fact, it is the 10th heaviest and can grow to nearly 6 feet in length. It is also incredibly long lived, often surpassing 100 years of age. One captive animal lived to be over 170 years old.
There are several different subspecies of the animal spread over different islands. Also, shell shapes are different depending on whether the tortoise lives in dry or humid areas. These different shapes are called saddleback, which are found in the drier climate, and domed. There is also an intermediate type of shell.
The tortoise is ectothermic, or cold blooded, and will spend some hours warming up at dawn. After that, they will spend 8 to 10 hours foraging. They eat leaves, lichens, grasses and berries. They acquire most of the water they need through the vegetation they eat. Females build nests by digging holes and will lay up to 16 eggs in the ground before covering it up. The temperature plays a role in determining whether males or females are born.
When westerners first discovered the islands in the late 1500s, there were approximately 250,000 tortoises. However, they became a staple food source and the population declined to just about 3,000 in the late 1970s. The animal is now protected and it is believed there are about 20,000 animals in the wild with a fairly healthy zoo population, as well.
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