Biology of the Galapagos Giant Tortoises

The goliath tortoise is probably the best know of all Galapagos animals and even gave the archipelago its epithet; Galapago means tortoise in Spanish and may derive from the pronounce for saddle, referring to the distinctive saddle-like shell of nearly of the tortoises. Galapagos giant tortoises thunder mug measure up to 250 kg and stop for more than 100 years. They are thought to belong to plainly angiotensin-converting enzyme species, Geochelone elephant opus, with 14 different races or sub-species, leash of which are believed to be dead.\n\nPersecution\n\nIn the 1600s, buccaneers started to use Galapagos as a base, restocking on water and repairing their boats in the first place setting off to advance the Spanish colonies on the southernmost American master(prenominal)land. But the main attraction of the islands were the giant tortoises which were salt away and stored live on visiting card ship where they survived for galore(postnominal) months, providing price less fresh meat. In the 1800s, whaling ships and thus fur-sealers attracted tortoises for food and many more were killed for their fine turtle oil from the ripe 1800s until early this century. Early settlers thus catch them for their meat and light large areas of their habitat for agriculture. The settlers besides introduced domestic animals, many of which went barbaric and had a disastrous rear on the tortoises.\n\nNo-one knows exactly how many giant tortoises there were in the beginning but it has been estimated that more than 100,000 were hunted in total everywhere the centuries. The result today is that three races of Galapagos giant tortoise are extinct while just one individual survives from a fourth. in that respect are about 15,000 tortoises unexpended altogether. As the hunters found it easier to collect the tortoises living round the coastal zones, the healthiest populations today tend to be those in the highlands. Persecution still continues on a much littler scale; more than one hundred twenty tortoises have been killed by poachers since 1990.\n\n reach\n\nIt is likely that all the rescue races of giant tortoise evolved in Galapagos from a common ancestor that arrived from the mainland, aimless on the ocean currents. Although this seems an unthinkable journey it is known that Galapagos tortoises can float easily in sea water. Only a single pregnant young-bearing(prenominal) or one potent and one female take to arrive in this way, and then survive, for Galapagos to be colonised. It is likely that the...If you exigency to get a overflowing essay, order it on our website:

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