| Galápagos tortoise | |
|---|---|
| Superfamily: | Testudinoidea |
| Family: | Testudinidae |
| Genus: | Chelonoidis |
| Species complex: | Chelonoidis niger complex Fitzinger, 1835 |
Contents
What is a Galapagos tortoise classified as?
The Galapagos turtle belongs to the family of land-dwelling tortoises known by the scientific name of Testudinidae. This taxonomy classification is based on its anatomy, genetics, and evolutionary history.
Is the Galapagos tortoise a specialist species?
“Tortoises are mobile generalist feeders that can adapt; specialist species and those that are outcompeted by introduced species are in dire straits, so what may be okay for tortoises remains extremely detrimental for the islands ecosystems overall.”
What type of animal is a Galapagos tortoise?
There are 13 living species of Galápagos tortoises, which are also sometimes called giant tortoises. These reptiles are among the longest-lived of all land vertebrates, averaging more than a hundred years. The oldest on record lived to be 175.
What is the classification of a tortoise?
Galápagos tortoises are herbivores that eat prickly pear cactus (a favorite) and fruits, as well as flowers, leaves, and grasses. In fact, these tortoises can go without eating or drinking for up to a year, because they can store food and water so well.
Is a Galapagos tortoise a herbivore?
There are currently 15 species. Giant tortoises were native to each of the big islands (Española, Fernandina, Floreana, Pinta, Pinzón, San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe and Santiago) as well as the five major volcanoes on Isabela Island (Wolf, Darwin, Alcedo, Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul).
How many species of Galapagos tortoises are there?
The Galapagos giant tortoise is a keystone species and its population has declined as a result of human activity.Galapagos giant tortoises shape their habitats by grazing on plants, dispersing plant seeds and trampling areas of vegetation.
Is a Galapagos tortoise a keystone species?
The giant Galapagos Tortoises are amongst the most famous endemic species in the World and unique to the Galapagos Archipelago. It’s thought that giant tortoises once thrived on all the continents of earth; only to have been hunted to extinction almost everywhere else except on the Galapagos.
Is the Galapagos tortoise an endemic species?
However, giant tortoises are no longer considered to be classic examples of island gigantism, as similarly massive tortoises are now known to have once been widespread.
History.
| Island | Española Island |
|---|---|
| Archipelago | Galápagos Islands |
| Region | Pacific Ocean |
| Genus | Chelonoidis |
| Taxa | Chelonoidis hoodensis (Española giant tortoise) |
What kind of animal is giant tortoise?
All of the Galapagos giant tortoise species alive today are under threat and are on the IUCN Red List – they range from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered. One of them, the Eastern Santa Cruz giant tortoise (Chelonoidis donfaustoi) was, just last year, found to be Critically Endangered.
Are Galapagos tortoise endangered?
Darwin noticed that different tortoise species lived on islands with different environments. He realized that the tortoises had traits that allowed them to live in their particular environments. For example, tortoises that ate plants near the ground had rounded shells and shorter necks.
What did Darwin discover about Galapagos tortoises?
Range and Habitat
Giant tortoises are found only on the Galapagos Islands and prefer to live in dry lowlands. They are found on the islands of Pinzon, Española and Isabela. In general, saddleback tortoises live in arid zones and feed mostly on cactus.
What is the Galapagos tortoise habitat?
A tortoise is neither a mammal nor an amphibian; they are classified as reptiles. Tortoises lay eggs rather than give birth to live young, which…
Is a tortoise a mammal or an amphibian?
turtles
All tortoises are in fact turtles—that is, they belong to the order Testudines or Chelonia, reptiles having bodies encased in a bony shell—but not all turtles are tortoises.
What kind of animal is a tortoise?
Reptiles: Snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises, crocodiles, and alligators are all reptiles. Amphibians: Frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians are all amphibians.
Are tortoises reptiles or amphibians?
GALAPAGOS TORTOISES
These are the world’s largest tortoises, of which there are a total of 12 species that live among the various islands (two of them are considered extinct).
Is a Galapagos turtle a tortoise?
Some tortoises, including Lonesome George, have shells that rise in front, like a saddle. This adaptation makes it easier for them to lift their heads high to eat tree cactus and to resolve disputes over limited food resources, which they do through raising their heads as high as possible during social interactions.
How has the Galapagos tortoise adapted?
Testudines
What is the turtles scientific name?
turtle, (order Testudines), any reptile with a body encased in a bony shell, including tortoises. Although numerous animals, from invertebrates to mammals, have evolved shells, none has an architecture like that of turtles. The turtle shell has a top (carapace) and a bottom (plastron).
Can turtles live up to 500 years?
According to the Turtle Conservation Society, most turtle species live from 10 to 80 years. But sea turtles and large land tortoises can live to be much older. Their lifespan can be 150 years or more.Some have estimated, however, that large turtles may be able to live 400 to 500 years!
How many species of Galapagos tortoises are thought to be extinct?
2 extinct
The Galápagos tortoise complex or Galápagos giant tortoise complex is a species complex of 15 (13 extant and 2 extinct) very large tortoise species in the genus Chelonoidis (which also contains three other species from mainland South America).
