Biology of the Galapagos Giant Tortoises

The gargantuan tortoise is probably the best know of all Galapagos animals and even gave the archipelago its do; Galapago means tortoise in Spanish and may derive from the devise for saddle, referring to the distinctive saddle-like shell of more or less of the tortoises. Galapagos giant tortoises digest look at up to 250 kg and function for more than 100 years. They argon thought to belong to average one species, Geochelone elephant opus, with 14 different races or sub-species, common chord of which are believed to be out(p).\n\nPersecution\n\nIn the 1600s, buccaneers started to use Galapagos as a base, restocking on water and repairing their boats onward setting off to firing the Spanish colonies on the southbound American principal(prenominal)land. But the main attraction of the islands were the giant tortoises which were stack away and stored live on mount up ship where they survived for many another(prenominal) months, providing invaluable fresh meat. In the 180 0s, whaling ships and so(prenominal) fur-sealers drawed tortoises for food and many more were killed for their fine turtle oil from the former(a) 1800s until early this century. Early settlers thus track down them for their meat and unclutter large areas of their habitat for agriculture. The settlers as well introduced domestic animals, many of which went barbarian and had a disastrous rear on the tortoises.\n\nNo-one knows exactly how many giant tortoises there were primitively but it has been estimated that more than 100,000 were hunted in total everywhere the centuries. The result today is that 3 races of Galapagos giant tortoise are extinct while just one individual survives from a fourth. at that place are about 15,000 tortoises odd 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 small scale; more than grea t hundred tortoises have been killed by poachers since 1990.\n\n arriver\n\nIt is likely that all the point races of giant tortoise evolved in Galapagos from a common ancestor that arrived from the mainland, locomote 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 fe virile or one male and one female postulate to arrive in this way, and then survive, for Galapagos to be colonised. It is likely that the...If you wish to get a exuberant essay, order it on our website:

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