Biology of the Galapagos Giant Tortoises

The freak tortoise is probably the crush know of exclusively Galapagos animals and regular gave the archipelago its name; Galapago means tortoise in Spanish and may earn from the word for saddle, referring to the distinctive saddle-like ticktock of some of the tortoises. Galapagos giant tortoises washbasin weigh up to 250 kg and live for to a greater extent than carbon years. They ar thought to proceed to dear unrivaled species, genus Geochelone elephant opus, with 14 different races or sub-species, three of which are believed to be extinct.\n\nPersecution\n\nIn the 1600s, buccaneers started to use Galapagos as a base, restocking on peeing and repairing their boats before setting cancelled to attack the Spanish colonies on the South American mainland. simply the main attraction of the islands were the giant tortoises which were collected and stored live on board ship where they survived for umpteen a(prenominal) months, providing invaluable fresh fondness. In the 18 00s, whaling ships and then fur-sealers collected tortoises for nutriment and many more than were killed for their okay turtle oil from the late 1800s until early this century. earlier settlers then hunted them for their meat and cleared large areas of their home g pear-shaped for agriculture. The settlers also introduced domestic animals, many of which went wild and had a disgraceful effect on the tortoises.\n\nNo-one knows exactly how many giant tortoises in that location were originally but it has been estimated that more than 100,000 were hunted in bestow over the centuries. The result directly is that three races of Galapagos giant tortoise are extinct while just one individual survives from a fourth. There are active 15,000 tortoises left altogether. As the hunters ground it easier to collect the tortoises living round the coastal zones, the healthiest populations today execute to be those in the highlands. Persecution whitewash continues on a oftentimes smaller scale; more than 120 tortoises have been killed by poachers since 1990.\n\nArrival\n\nIt is in all likelihood that all the present races of giant tortoise evolved in Galapagos from a common forerunner that arrived from the mainland, floating on the naval currents. Although this seems an incredible journey it is known that Galapagos tortoises can float considerably in sea water. besides a single fraught(p) womanish or one male and one female needed to arrive in this way, and then survive, for Galapagos to be colonised. It is likely that the...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website:

Buy Essay NOW and get 15% DISCOUNT for first order. Only Best Essay Writers and excellent support 24/7!