Wild Fact #908 – Why Gatorade Sales are Down on the Galapagos Islands – Galapagos Tortoise
Photograph by Tim Laman
Today we take a look at the Galapagos Tortoise. What intrigued me the most about this giant tortoise is the fact that it is possible that one of these creatures were actually alive when Charles Darwin made his famous trip to the Galapagos Islands in 1835. To date the oldest known tortoise was 152 years old so it is highly unlikely that an individual is still alive but the possibility exists. One thing has definitely changed since Darwin walked the Galapagos. Back in 1835 there were 15 subspecies of tortoises, however, today there are only 11 subspecies. Hunting has caused the extinction of 4 different subspecies of Galapagos Tortoise. Hopefully this trend will not continue and conservation efforts remain effective.
The Galapagos tortoise is the world’s largest tortoise and can reach lengths up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) and weigh in at an astonishing 250 kilograms (550 pounds). This special tortoise will continue to grow for 30 to 40 years. Could you imagine how good our basketball team would be if we continued to grow in height until we were 40 years old? They are able to become so large due to a phenomenon known as island gigantism in which the lack of natural predators allowed the largest tortoises an advantage and no disadvantages (such as lack of speed to flee from a predator).
Although, the adults have no natural predators, the Galapagos Islands are not an easy place to live. Food and water can be scarce at times making life difficult. Like most animals the Galapagos tortoise has adapted to their environment and can actually go an entire year without food or water. I know this is impressive, right? They are able to survive by having a slow metabolism as well as large internal stores of water. And we thought the camel was special!
Pictured above is the Saddle-Backed Tortoise which lives in the drier climates of the Galapagos Islands. I am sure you have noticed the incredibly long neck which they use for grazing on the vegetation growing off the ground. Since the ground is dry there is not much ground vegetation. On the other hand, the dome shaped tortoise resides in the wetter climates of the Galapagos and has a much shorter neck since it doesn’t need to graze on leaves growing off the ground. Interestingly enough there is also the intermediate tortoise which as you may have guessed is mixed between the two. It is easy to see why Darwin was so intrigued with the Galapagos when evolution is as evident as this.
Well that is all of today folks! Have a great day and get ready for New Years Eve!
