Endangered

On June 02, 1970, the Galapagos tortoise was designated as Endangered in the Entire Range which is Ecuador (the Galapagos Islands). It is on the 2002 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.Turtles are a vanishing species due to pollution, habitat destruction, and exploitation. Humans need to think twice before purchasing wild animals, littering, dumping chemicals, spraying pesticides, or destroying the habitats which turtles and tortoises have called home for millions of years. Historically, sailors would collect Galapagos tortoises and store them live on their backs in ships' cargo holds for up to a year. The tortoises did not have to be fed or watered and were eaten during long voyages at sea. It is thought that between 100,000 and 200,000 tortoises were killed in this way. At present, the greatest threats to the Galapagos tortoises are from the introduction of non-native species to the Galapagos Islands. Humans brought animals to the islands, such as dogs and cats, which eat unhatched tortoise eggs and young tortoises. Other introduced animals, such as goats and cattle, eat the same vegetation that tortoises eat, causing food shortages. 'Galapagos' means Turtle Islands.

In 1835 Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands - an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about 650 miles (1,040 km) off the coast of Ecuador. Among the many creatures he saw there were giant tortoises weighing 600 pounds or more, with shells four feet across. Galapagos giant tortoises are the largest tortoises in the world. Giant tortoises in general are the longest-lived of all vertebrates (animals with backbones). It is not known just how long they can live but it's possible that some of the old-timers in the Galapagos today hatched about the time of Darwin's visit. Of the original 14 subspecies of Galapagos tortoises, three are extinct. The remaining 11 subspecies are endangered. Galapagos tortoises are herbivores. Their diet consists mostly of cactus, fruits, vines, grasses and other vegetation. Tortoises can store food and water so well that they can go without eating or drinking for up to one year. They are also cold-blooded. They spend much of their day soaking up the sun to warm themselves. When the sun goes down and the temperature cools, tortoises sleep partially submerged in mud, water or brush to keep warm. Females lay their eggs in nest holes near the coast. They cover the nest hole and then leave. The young tortoises hatch four to eight months later and weigh about three pounds at birth. If the nest temperature is low, more males will hatch, if the nest temperature is high, more females will hatch. Galapagos tortoises may batter and bite each other at other times than when mating. Fights often involve individuals of the same sex. The tortoises have a very characteristic style of ritualistic combat; they face each other and each raises his head as high as he can in order to deliver a downward bite on his opponent's head. The fight immediately terminates when one tortoise has demonstrated that it has higher reach, and the loser usually makes off at high speed.

STUDY: Origin and Evolutionary Relationships of Giant Galápagos Tortoises - Perhaps the most enduring debate in reptile circles has involved the giant Galápagos tortoises (Geochelone nigra), whose origins and systematic relationships captivated Charles Darwin and remain unresolved to this day. Here we report a phylogenetic reconstruction based on mitochondrial DNA sequences from Galápagos tortoises and Geochelone from mainland South America and Africa.

ARTICLE: The Galapagos: Evolution's Lab - While it Lasts

ARTICLE: Read about the airlift of Galapagos turtles away from the erupting Cerro Azul volcano And finally, learn about Lonesome George - Marooned on the Galapagos island of Pinta, 'Lonesome George' is the last surviving member of Geochelone nigra abingdoni: for George is a Galapagos giant tortoise, a member of the spectacular and unique fauna that inspired Charles Darwin to develop his theories of evolution. Yet the giant tortoises, which can grow up to five feet long and weigh 400 kilograms, are on their way to extinction. Of the 15 recognized subspecies, only 11 survive to the present. If Lonesome George doesn't get a mate, the figure will soon be ten.