Galapagos Tortoise

Lore & Background

Spanish explorers, who discovered the islands in the 16th century, named them after the Spanish galápago, meaning 'tortoise'. Charles Darwin's observations of differences in shell size and shape between subspecies 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, due to overexploitation for meat and oil, habitat clearance, and introduction of non-native animals. Conservation efforts have resulted in thousands of captive-bred juveniles being released, and the total number is estimated to have exceeded 19,000 at the start of the 21st century.

Reader's Guide

Galápagos tortoises are native to seven of the Galápagos Islands. Shell size and shape vary between subspecies and populations. On islands with humid highlands and abundant low vegetation, the tortoises are larger, with domed shells and short necks; on islands with dry lowlands and less ground-level vegetation, the tortoises are smaller, with 'saddleback' shells and long necks. With lifespans in the wild of over 100 years, it is one of the longest-lived vertebrates. Captive Galapagos tortoises can live up to 177 years.

Did You Know?

• A captive individual, Harriet, lived for at least 175 years.
• The last known individual of the Pinta Island subspecies (C. n. abingdonii), named Lonesome George, died in captivity in June 2012.
• The Galápagos tortoise is one of two insular radiations of giant tortoises that still survive to the modern day; the other is Aldabrachelys gigantea of Aldabra and the Seychelles.