The Galapagos tortoise is the largest tortoise in the world. It is an endemic animal to the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. The adult Galapagos tortoise is 1.5 meters long, with an average weight of 175 kilograms, and the highest record is 6 meters and weighs 800 kilograms. It is said that the Galapagos tortoise is the largest tortoise in existence, with the largest recorded individual in captivity reaching 417 kilograms, and wild males exceeding 300 kilograms are common.

Characteristics of the Galapagos tortoise

The Galapagos tortoise is the largest tortoise in the family Chestidae and the genus Tortoise in South America, with a total of 14 This species has a high carapace bulge, symmetrical large scales on the top of the head, a short skull, the squamous bones are not connected to the parietal bone, the frontal bone may not enter the orbit, and the postorbital bone has degenerated or almost disappeared; the rear part of the square bone is usually closed and completely surrounds the stirrup. Bone; the maxillary bone is almost connected to the yoke bone, and the chewing surface of the upper jaw may or may not have a central ridge. The dorsal and ventral carapace are firmly connected by bony sutures through the nail bridge. The limbs are thick and cylindrical. Fingers and phalanges have no more than 2 segments, have claws, and are not webbed. No odor glands.

Life habits of Galapagos tortoises

1. Galapagos tortoises are temperature-changing animals, so they need to absorb heat and need to bask in the sun for 1 hour a day -2 hours, it takes 8-9 hours to forage a day, and is mostly active in the early morning. It rests in the evening and walks slowly, at a speed of 0.3 kilometers per hour. Rest was achieved by rolling in mud puddles formed by rain, probably on cool nights, to protect the body from bites by parasites such as mosquitoes and ticks.

2. The Galapagos tortoise is a herbivore. Its diet includes cacti, grass, leaves, mosses, lichens and berries. It also eats guava, water ferns, bromeliads, and tillands. They eat an average of 32-36 kilograms per day, but their inefficient digestive system limits nutrient absorption.

The Galapagos tortoise’s habitat environment

The Galapagos tortoise, which has a horseback carapace structure, lives in in arid environments. Galapagos tortoises make seasonal migrations from grasslands to areas as high as 600 meters above sea level during the rainy and dry seasons. The same migration routes have been created by many generations of turtles as forest pathways, defined as "turtle highways."

On those rainy islands, the dome-backed turtle is more gregarious and is often found in large groups, while the saddle-backed turtle is relatively isolated in its territory. Larger Galapagos tortoises are better adapted to high altitudes because they can withstand slightly cooler climates and cloudy and foggy climates. Generally found on larger and wetter islands and at lower altitudes.