Galapagos Tortoise

It is no surprise that one of the obvious realities we as humans tend to overlook, is that we are not alone in this planet. According to scientist on endangeredspecies.com, there are more than one and one-half million species around the world, from which more than 1,000 animal species are endangered worldwide. With so much competition for species to be part of the 1,000 strong, the Galapagos Tortoise has been a long time member. Based on the web site panda.org, “around 250,000 tortoises are thought to have lived on Galapagos before the arrival of humans. Today only 15,000 to 20,000 survive”. With over 90% of the Galapagos species being lost due to human interaction, the “giant tortoises” are a species that have been in the endangered list for many years and if we don’t take action, it will continue to stay for many more years to come.

Endangered species both plant and animal species face a real threat when their existence is in jeopardy. “The universal problem of endangerment cannot be solved until humans protect the natural environments where these species dwell” (endangeredspecies.com). The most common factor that causes this to happen is habitat destruction. Two of the most common reasons a habitat is destroyed, is by overexploitation and the introduction of exotic species to a different habitat. One famous individual who discovered the habitat, where many believe to be the most diverse animal collection in the world, was Charles Darwin, on his trip to the Galapagos Islands. Oblivious to the fact, his presence was the starting point for the near extinction of the Giant Tortoises.

The Galapagos Tortoises are the largest living tortoises in the world. Known for their size and magnitude, they have a lifespan of over 100 years old. With 14 sub-species found in various islands, there is a great variation in shell shape and size from island to island making every one of them unique in their own special way. These gentle giants can outlive many humans in a course of their lifespan. Their slow intake on life makes them a easy to observe and admire. Males tend to be larger than females, with an estimated weight of 400 to 500 pounds. Clearly impossible to lift unless you have super human strength or high power machinery, these magnificent creatures had unfortunately 3 of their sub-species extinct, due to human intervention.

Due to their longevity, these tortoises were captured by whalers for their ability to keep them alive in the ship, long enough before they were used for meat. The presence of humans in their habitat has caused the tortoises to be considered one of the most fragile species to preserve. Based on studies done in Cornell, they point out a key fact about these giant tortoises, which makes them one of the hardest animals to increase its population. Their inability to mate until they are mature, which is 20 to 30 years of age and their long life spans, creates this issue because of the difficulty, to completely follow through rescued individuals from birth to death. With threats to their livelihood,

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