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"You tawkin' ta me?" |
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| The scientific name for the Galapagos Tortoise is Geochelone elephantopus. The only area in the world where these tortoises are found in nature is in the Galapagos Islands in the lava-soil area of the lowlands. The word galapagos is Spanish for 'tortoise'. Their diet is made up of grass, leaves, cactus and some carrion, or decomposed animal remains. These tortoises can live to be 100 to 200 years old and are one of the oldest living creatures. |
DID
YOU KNOW...
...that Galapagos Tortoises are endangered?
Legend states that the Galapagos Islands were once so abundant
of Galapagos Tortoises that settlers could walk great distances
without touching the ground! But with the introduction of other animals
such as pigs, rats, dogs and cats, the tortoises' hatchlings
came into danger. Therefore the survival rate of hatchlings
declined, and so then did the number of tortoises.
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| Click here to see a movie file of some Galapagos Tortoises basking in the sun! |
