Santiago Island giant tortoise

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Santiago Island giant tortoise
Darwini.jpg
Conservation status

Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Testudinoidea
Family: Testudinidae
Genus: Chelonoidis
Species:
C. darwini
Binomial name
Chelonoidis darwini
(Van Denburgh, 1907)[2]
Synonyms[3]
  • Testudo darwini
    Van Denburgh, 1907
  • Testudo elephantopus darwini
    — Mertens & , 1955
  • Geochelone elephantopus darwini
    — Pritchard, 1967
  • Geochelone nigra darwini
    — , 1992
  • Chelonoidis nigra darwini
    — , 1994
  • Geochelone darwini
    — , 2006
  • Chelonoidis darwini
    — et al., 2010

The Santiago Island giant tortoise (Chelonoidis darwini), also known commonly as the Santiago giant tortoise[1] and the James Island tortoise, is a species of Galápagos tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is endemic to Santiago Island (also known as James Island and San Salvador) in the Galápagos.

Population history[]

Large numbers of C. darwini were removed from Santiago Island in the early 19th century by whaling vessels, and introduced goats reduced the coastal lowlands to deserts, restricting the remaining tortoises to the interior. The sex ratio is strongly imbalanced in favour of the males, and most nests and young are destroyed by feral pigs. Some nests are now protected by lava corrals, and since 1970, eggs have been transported to the Charles Darwin Research Station for hatching and rearing. Release programs and measures for nest protection from feral pigs have been successful.[4] There are approximately 1,165 individuals in the wild, with an increasing population.[1]

Habitat[]

The preferred natural habitats of C. darwini are forest and shrubland.[1]

Description[]

The gray to black carapace of C. darwini is intermediate in shape between the saddle-backed species and the domed species of Galápagos tortoises. It has only a shallow cervical indentation. The anterior carapacial rim is not appreciably upturned, and the posterior marginals are flared, slightly upturned, and slightly serrated.[citation needed]

Diet[]

C. darwini grazes on low-growing vegetation.[1]

Etymology[]

The specific name, darwini, is in honor of English naturalist Charles Darwin.[3]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e , , , (2016). "Chelonoidis darwini ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T9020A82689845. Retrieved 14 February 2020.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Van Denburgh, John (1907). "Preliminary descriptions of four new races of gigantic land tortoises from the Galapagos Islands". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. Fourth Series. 1: 1–6. (Testudo darwini, new species).
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Species Chelonoidis darwini at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  4. ^ Cayot LJ (1994). "Conservation biology of Galápagos reptiles: twenty-five years of successful research and management". pp. 297–305. In: , , Collins JT (editors). Captive Management and Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles. Ithaca, New York: Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Contributions to Herpetology. Vol. 11. ISBN 0-916984-33-8.

External links[]

  • Van Denburgh J (1907). "Expedition of the California Academy of Sciences to the Galapagos Islands, 1905–1906. I. Preliminary descriptions of four new races of gigantic land tortoises from the Galapagos Islands". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Fourth Series 1: 1–6. (Testudo darwini, new species). (Full text).



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