How long do Galapagos tortoises live? Galapagos tortoises: what are they? Elephant turtle and man

The largest land turtle in the world is elephant turtle. She is also called galapagos tortoise, as it is endemic to the Galapagos Islands. This is a volcanic archipelago located in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, 970 km from the coast of Ecuador. Consists of 13 large islands. But huge turtles live only on 7. In Europe they became known in the 16th century, when the islands were discovered by the Spanish conquistadors.

Description

Modern Galapagos tortoises weigh up to 417 kg with a shell length of 1.87 meters. The usual weight for males ranges from 272 to 317 kg, and for females from 136 to 181 kg. At the same time, sizes vary across the islands. So on Pinzon Island Weight Limit equal to 76 kg with a shell length of 61 cm. And on the island of Santa Cruz, the length of the shell reaches 75-150 cm. The dimensions largely depend on the level of humidity environment. On islands with dry climates the sizes are smaller than on islands with humid climates.

The bodies of these reptiles are covered with a powerful bony armor (carapace). This bone shell is dull brown or gray. The shell consists of plates connected to ribs and fused into a single protective structure. That is, the plates are part of the skeleton. Since animals are slow, lichens often grow on their shells.

New growth rings (shell segment) are formed on the plates every year. But it is impossible to determine the life expectancy of elephant turtles from them, since the outer layers wear off over the years. The paws of these reptiles are powerful, gnarled, with dry and hard scaly skin. The front limbs have 5 claws, and the hind limbs have 4. These turtles are able to retract their neck, head and forelimbs into the shell, which serves as reliable protection in times of danger.

Reproduction and lifespan

The breeding process occurs throughout the year, but it has seasonal peaks, which occur in February - June and coincide with the rainy season. IN mating season males engage in ritual fights. They collide with each other, stand on their hind legs, stretch their necks, and open their mouths. In this case, the smaller male retreats and cedes the right of mating to the larger one.

Nesting sites are located on dry sandy coasts. Females prepare nests for eggs by digging out sand with their hind paws. Over the course of several days, they dig round holes with a diameter of 30 cm. Eggs are laid in such nests. There are usually 16 eggs in a clutch. They have a spherical shape, and the egg is the size of a billiard ball. The female throws sand moistened with her own urine on top of the eggs. After this, the clutch is left to incubate. During the season, the female can lay from 1 to 4 clutches.

Temperature has great value during incubation. If it is low, then more males hatch, and if it is high, then mostly females are born. Young turtles emerge from their nests after 4-8 months. They weigh 50 g with a body length of 6 cm. The hatched cubs must crawl to the surface. They succeed if the ground is wet. But if it is dry and hardened, then young elephant turtles die.

Surviving young develop within 10-15 years. It becomes sexually mature at 20-25 years of age. In the wild, the elephant turtle lives for more than 100 years. But in captivity, life expectancy can reach 150 years. The most famous long-lived turtle was Harriet. She died in 2006 at the Australia Zoo. At the time of death, her age was 170 years.

These reptiles are herbivores. They eat cacti, grass, leaves, lichens, berries, and fruits. Young Galapagos tortoises eat 17% of their body weight per day. They mainly obtain moisture from dew and vegetation. They can survive without water for 6 months. They can live without food for up to a year, consuming their fat reserves.

Conservation status

This species is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). In the 16th century, when the Spaniards appeared on the Galapagos Islands, the number of huge reptiles reached 250 thousand. In the middle of the 20th century, only 3 thousand remained. Reasons for the decline unique population began the shooting of animals for meat and oil, the destruction of natural habitats for agricultural needs, the importation of pigs, goats, and rats to the islands.

In the second half of the 20th century, people came to their senses, and today the elephant turtle has noticeably increased in number. Now 19 thousand huge reptiles live on distant islands, and their numbers remain at a stable level.

The largest turtle in the world is the leatherback turtle. But she is a resident water element, but on land the elephant turtle holds the palm among the group. This animal belongs to the class of reptiles. The Galapagos elephant tortoise is a representative of the family of land tortoises, which includes the genus of American tortoises, to which the heroine of our “story” belongs.

The Galapagos elephant tortoise is one of the rarest species on planet Earth. Climate change and human influence on nature have made these animals an endangered species.

How to recognize a Galapagos elephant tortoise by its external features?

This giant turtle weighs about 300 kilograms. The diameter of its shell is almost one and a half meters, and this animal grows up to one meter in height! It is difficult not to notice such a turtle, although it is a little smaller.

Distinctive feature elephant turtle is hers long neck, and she also has quite long paws, thanks to which she lifts her body high off the ground. The shell of this representative of the turtle “kingdom” is painted black.

Why was the turtle called “elephant”? It's all about its appearance: not only does it have impressive “elephant” dimensions, the similarity with these animals is also indicated by the legs of a turtle: they are so massive that they really look like the legs of an elephant. The similarity is also evident in the large number of skin folds on the neck.

The shell of an elephant tortoise is somewhat reminiscent of a saddle: it is slightly raised in front, and has a slope and a small notch in the back.

Habitat of giant land tortoises

Elephant turtles live on the territory of the Galapagos Islands, located in the Pacific Ocean. You can also meet these reptiles on the island of Aldabra, washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean.

Lifestyle of Elephant Turtles

These representatives of the land turtle family live in rather difficult conditions. Where they live is always very high temperature, hot climate and sparse vegetation. Therefore, they have to be unpretentious when it comes to food. In areas where they live, they try to stay close to broad-leaved trees. tropical forests, on plains covered with bushes, or in savannas. In the Galapagos Islands, elephant tortoises live in the lowlands.

During daylight hours, these animals show increased caution, but with the onset of night they seem to turn into blind and deaf creatures - they move around, not paying attention to what is happening around them and lose their vigilance. By the way, elephant turtles are very slow creatures! In a whole day they can walk no more than 6 kilometers.

What does the Galapagos tortoise eat?

The elephant tortoise eats vegetation. She eats literally any greenery: be it the leaves of bushes or succulent cacti, grass or young shoots. In addition, it can feed on woody lichens and the fruits of fruit and berry plants. The turtle eats algae and other aquatic plants. But the most important delicacy for her was and remains... tomatoes!

The turtle rarely drinks water because it has the ability to store it in its body for a large amount of time.

Reproduction of elephant turtles

Every year, from April to November, females lay their eggs. This happens in the same place, which is specially prepared in advance caring parents. One clutch contains from 2 to 20 eggs. Six months later, a new generation of land giants is born from the laid eggs in the “nest”.

Elephant turtles are known to be. Cases have been recorded when they lived to be 100, or even 150, years old!

Due to mass extermination for profit, which took place more than a century ago, these turtles came under protection international organizations on nature protection. Currently, their numbers are strictly controlled to prevent complete extermination on our planet.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

I dedicate this post to the memory of Lonesome George, the last representative of a rare subspecies of armored reptiles - the Abingdon elephant tortoise. Lonesome George died yesterday in Galapagos National Park, where he had lived since 1972.
Sad news. An ENTIRE subspecies of the giant elephant tortoise has disappeared from the face of the Earth forever. There are practically no predators in nature for which these reptiles could become prey. Only humans actively destroyed elephant turtles. It is bitter to realize that the true culprit of this tragedy was once again Homo sapience - Homo sapiens!!! You already begin to doubt the latter, analyzing the activities of the human race from its inception to this day. Now we have no choice but to mourn our own sacrifice.

Lonesome George, the last male giant elephant tortoise at the age of one hundred, died in the Galapagos Islands.

The most famous tortoise died in the Galapagos (photo: noblebrute.com)

Lonesome George, the last and only member of the Abingdon elephant tortoise subspecies, died on Sunday, June 24, according to Galapagos National Park officials.

This morning, a park ranger came to check on George, but found that his body was motionless and he was unresponsive to his surroundings. His life has come to an end, said the head of the Galapagos National Park, Edwin Naula.

George was found on Pinta Island in 1972, and since then he has gained the reputation of being the “symbol” of the Galapagos Islands, located in Ecuador.

Thousands of tourists came to Ecuador to see George (photo: noblepride.com)

Every year, thousands of tourists came to the island specifically to admire “the most famous bachelor in the world.”

A book was also written about George - Lonesome George: The Life and Loves of the World's Most Famous Turtle. The author of a popular science book dedicated to a huge turtle was Henry Nichols.

Yana Shebalina, Life News Online
01:23, Monday June 25, 2012
http://lifenews.ru/news/95353

And now we are about to get acquainted with the “biography” of an elephant turtle. So...

The elephant tortoise is a real giant among all representatives of the order. This animal is considered today rare species due to the fact that at one time it was the only food available to seafarers.
Sailors of the XXVI-XXVII centuries said that countless numbers of elephant turtles were found on the islands of Mauritius, Madagascar, Reunion, as well as throughout the Galapagos archipelago. They gathered in huge herds of 2000 - 3000 animals. Ships that sailed to India always stopped near these islands to stock up on elephant turtles. At the same time, several hundred animals were loaded on board at once. For 20 to 30 years, many captains collected elephant turtles for sale. As a consequence of this, in early XIX centuries, elephant tortoises remained only in Madagascar and the Galapagos Islands. By the way, the Galapagos Islands were once called the Turtle Islands, and now the elephant tortoise is sometimes called the Galapagos tortoise.

Among the elephant turtles there are giants that reach a weight of 400 kg and a shell length of more than a meter. There are practically no predators in nature for which these reptiles could become prey. Perhaps only people actively destroyed elephant turtles. And for the same reason, today they are forced to protect the significantly reduced numbers of these reptiles.

The absence of danger to some extent determined the appearance of the elephant tortoise. Its shell resembles a saddle and is wide open at the front. Due to this openness, the elephant tortoise is able to regulate its body temperature in the hot climate of the Galapagos Islands, where it lives. Male elephant tortoises are noticeably larger than females and, due to this size, have always been interesting objects for zoos. But today all subspecies of this animal, of which there are about 16, are included in the IUCN Red List. It is interesting that the elephant turtle sometimes chooses plants that are poisonous to other animals as food. Undoubtedly, this animal can rightfully be called the main attraction of the Galapagos Islands. Charles Darwin noted how interesting it is to observe the behavior of elephant turtles. In particular, he described such an unusual feature of the animal as deafness. The scientist did not explain whether elephant tortoises really have hearing problems, but said that the animal does not hear the steps of a person who meets a tortoise and is following it and is not frightened until the pursuer comes into its field of vision.

Other names

Chelonoidis elephant opus is the name of the elephant turtle species, derived from the Latin. Chelonoidis (genus of land turtles).
Testudo elephant opus – the name is derived from the Latin. Testudines (order turtles) and Testudinidae (family turtles).
Geochelone elephant opus, Chelonoidis nigra, Geochelone nigra, Testudo nigra – lat. species names in combination with lat. nigra (black), a character referring to the predominantly dark color of the elephant tortoise's shell.
Galápagos giant tortoise, Galápagos tortoise – English. Galapagos tortoise.
The Galapagos tortoise is another well-known habitat name.

Classification

Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrates
Class: Reptiles
Squad: Turtles
Suborder: Hidden-necked turtles
Family: Land turtles
Genus: American Land
turtles
Species: Elephant turtle
Subspecies: abingdonii (Abingdonian), becki (Rothschild's tortoise), chathamensis (Chatham's tortoise), darvini (Darwin's tortoise), ephippium (Pinzon's tortoise), duncanensis (Duncan's), galopagoensis (Charles Island tortoise), guentheri (Gunther's tortoise), hoodensis ( Hispaniola), microphyes (Isabel), nigrita (Black), phantastica (Fernandina Island tortoise), porteri (Santacruz tortoise), vandenburghi (Vandenburg's tortoise), vicina (Cave), wallacei (Jervis).

Habitat

A rare, in fact, endangered species of elephant tortoises today is preserved only in the Galapagos Islands in Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Ecuador (South America) and also on the territory of the island of Aldabra, which is a national park and located in Indian Ocean. The areas inhabited by elephant tortoises are characterized by a hot, dry climate and sparse vegetation. This is mainly sparse grass cover and sparse shrubs and trees. You can also meet elephant turtles in tropical deciduous forests, on shrub plains and savannas, as well as in the lowlands of the Galapagos Islands, covered with solidified lava. Looking for fresh water and available vegetation, these reptiles are able to climb winding paths leading to volcanic highlands. Female elephant turtles prefer the sandy lowlands of the coast, since it is most convenient for them to lay eggs, but males climb high on the mountain slopes, since the vegetation there is lush and the air is humid. By the way, elephant turtles living in the lowlands tend to make long journeys in search of sources of fresh water and even trample noticeable paths to them, along which people later found this water.
As already mentioned, 16 subspecies of elephant turtles are known, and their habitat is usually limited to one of the islands. And a hint about which one is often contained in the name of the subspecies. For example, the Abingdon tortoise is found on the island. Abingdon (Pinta), mainly in rocky, rugged terrain where volcanic rocks come to the surface. The Rothschild's tortoise has chosen the uneven, bush-covered northern and western slopes of the Wolf Island volcano. Isabela. The Chatham elephant tortoise is easy to find in the northeastern grasslands of the island. Santa Cristobal. Darwin's turtle is found on the rocks of. San Salvador at an altitude of 200 to 700 m above sea level. Pinzon's turtle lives in narrow grassy areas on the southwestern slope of the volcano. Gunther's elephant tortoises inhabit the Sierra Negro mountain system in the southeast of Isabela Island, but are also found on dry plains with rare cacti and trees. The habitat of the Hispaniola tortoise is, respectively, the rocks of the island of Hispaniola. Isabelskaya is found within the dry slopes of the Darwin volcano on the island. Isabela. The population of the Black Elephant Turtle settled in the clearings of the island. Santa Cruz and, by the way, is considered the most numerous among all subspecies. The turtles of Fernandina Island live, accordingly, on its volcanic slopes. The Vandenburg elephant tortoise has spread not only along the slopes of the Aldero volcano on the island. Albemarle, but also occupied its crater. And finally, the elephant cave turtle chose the Sierra Azul volcano in the south of the island as its habitat. Isabela.

Description

Elephant turtles are quite slow animals. During the day they travel no more than 6 km. Female elephant tortoises lay 10 to 14 eggs in small holes and do not take any further care of them.

During the day, elephant tortoises are very careful, but at night they pay absolutely no attention to anything, which is why they appear blind and deaf.

We have already mentioned that the elephant tortoise is a giant of amazing size. Its shell can reach 120 cm in length and 60 cm in height. Average weight equals 100 kg. And the approximate life expectancy is 150 years. However, the name of the elephant turtle is due not only to its size, but also to its appearance. To support the heavy and massive body, the reptile is equipped with powerful column-shaped legs, indeed, reminiscent of an elephant’s. And her skin on the limbs and neck protruding from under the shell is very reminiscent of the thick rubbery epidermis of an elephant. The upper shield of the elephant tortoise's shell has a special saddle-shaped shape - at the back it drops low and bends slightly upward, and at the front, on the contrary, it is raised high, so that the front legs and the long thin neck of the reptile remain practically unprotected. Males have more long tail with a clear pattern.
The different subspecies of elephant tortoises differ mainly in the size and shape of their shell. On this basis, scientists classified them into two groups. The smallest individuals of elephant tortoises live on small, arid islands and have longer, thin legs. Their shell clearly follows the shape of the saddle, and their weight is about 25-50 kg. In areas with more humid climate and elephant turtles are larger. They have a tall, dome-like shell. Zoologists suggest that thanks to this shape of the carpax, elephant turtles easily penetrate into any plant jungle. On the dorsal shield of these reptiles there is a noticeable pattern in the form of polygons located inside each other, by the number of sides of which the age of the animal can be calculated. The elephant turtle is most active during the day, and at night it hides the back part of its body in a hole specially dug for this purpose. The reptile finds salvation from the heat and insects during the day by burying itself in silt or liquid mud.

Elephant turtles feed on plants and drink a lot of water. If there is no water near their pasture, elephant turtles do not go to a watering hole every day, but store water in their bladder and consume it as needed.

Since the living conditions of elephant turtles are not the most favorable, they are quite unpretentious in their diet. Most The diet consists of plant foods - leaves of shrubs and grass on volcanic slopes, succulent cacti that replace water for turtles, woody lichens and leaves, low-hanging berries and fruits, aquatic vegetation, algae. The main delicacy for elephant turtles is tomatoes. Living in arid areas, the reptile can go for a long time without water and food. However, if the elephant turtle finds a source of fresh water, it will drink it little by little for a long time, burying itself in the mud in the shallows. Among the plants that elephant tortoises enjoy eating are stinging nettles and various thorny bushes that do not cause them any harm. Animal food for the reptile most often becomes a variety of carrion found.

Many sailors said that elephant turtles sometimes starved on board for up to 18 months, and upon arrival at the port they turned out to be completely healthy and viable. There are cases where elephant turtles lived in captivity for 100 -150 years

In the terrarium, it is recommended to feed the elephant turtle with plant foods. In general, this giant is rarely kept at home; it is more often found in various national parks or zoos. There, a completely balanced diet is created for the elephant turtle, mainly plant-based with a small addition of animal protein.

In order for the mating of elephant turtles to be successful, nature has provided special tricks in the structure of the males. In particular, they have a small recess on the lower part of the shell, which allows them to climb onto the female’s shell and stay on it. If fertilization has occurred, then the female elephant turtle is preparing to lay eggs. Every year she is able to lay eggs in the same pre-selected warm and safe place. Sometimes the female first digs several nests in different places in order to then choose the most suitable one from them. In search of a suitable laying site, females often make real trips around the islands. The number of eggs in an elephant tortoise's clutch is approximately 2-20 each year between November and April. Moreover, she puts them in the prepared nest very carefully, insuring them with a special enveloping liquid, and then just as carefully sprinkles them with earth. In the nest, turtle eggs will “mature” for a little more than six months - from June to December. And the hatched elephant turtles will dig up the ground and climb to the surface on their own.

It is not possible to keep a giant elephant tortoise at home due to its enormous size. Most often, these reptiles live in various zoos and southern nature reserves, where spacious enclosures with vegetation and pools are built for them. Elephant tortoises are bred in captivity specifically to increase the numbers of the endangered species. In conditions wildlife under the supervision of people, it is not difficult to create suitable conditions for these reptiles, because the most they need is sun, warmth and the availability of plant food. The most suitable air temperature for breeding elephant turtles should be +28-+33 degrees Celsius.

And in conclusion, a very short video about an elephant turtle

The elephant or Galapagos tortoise (Latin: Chelonoidis nigra) is the largest representative of the land turtle family (Latin: Testudinidae) on our planet. Elephant tortoises appeared on Earth around Triassic period 250-200 million years ago. During all this time, the appearance of the reptile has remained virtually unchanged.

There are now 15 known subspecies of the elephant tortoise, of which 5 subspecies have already become extinct.

People and elephant turtles

In 1535, the Spaniards discovered an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of Ecuador. There were so many giant tortoises on its islands that they called it the Galapagos Islands (Spanish: Galpago - “ water turtle"). At that time, their population was more than 250,000 individuals.

According to the records of travelers of those years, huge reptiles weighing up to 400 kg and up to 180 cm in length were not at all uncommon then.

The Spaniards began to use them first in the form of live preserves, and later to obtain turtle oil, used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes to rejuvenate the skin. Pirates, who had their own numerous bases on the archipelago in the 17th-18th centuries, particularly distinguished themselves in the destruction of elephant turtles. In the 19th century, whalers caused particular damage to the population by killing females who came to lay eggs.

Feral dogs, pigs and cats have also appeared on the Galapagos Islands, eating small turtles. Donkeys, goats and rats brought to the islands destroyed turtle nests. Herbivores doomed adult reptiles to starvation, sometimes gnawing the scanty vegetation clean.

In 1974, only 3,060 elephant tortoises remained. In order to preserve the species, a scientific station was created on the island of Santa Cruz, whose employees collect turtle eggs and later release the grown juveniles into the wild. Thanks to the efforts made, by the end of 2009 their population already numbered 19,317 individuals.

The Galapagos Islands belong to Ecuador. On the uninhabited islands of the archipelago, the Ecuadorian government banned the capture of elephant turtles in 1934, and in 1959 founded National Park. Their artificial breeding started in 1965. From the eight turtles caught, biologists collected the first batch of eggs and, using an incubator, obtained the first “artificial” turtles.

Behavior

Elephant turtles are diurnal. They like to gather in small groups of 20-30 individuals and bask in sun-dried areas with volcanic soil.

During the dry season, turtles leave the lowlands and rise to the rich vegetation of the highlands. During the rainy season, they descend back to the warm lowlands, which are covered with lush greenery.

Reptiles walk the same paths every day from generation to generation, periodically stopping to eat, rest or swim. While resting, the turtle periodically raises its head high to look around its surroundings.

The elephant tortoise travels up to 4 km per day.

With the arrival of dusk, reptiles hide in holes dug in the ground or in thickets. They feel best in liquid mud or silted ponds. The nights on the islands are cold, so the heat in such bodies of water lasts longer.

The favorite delicacy of giants is the juicy pulp of prickly pears. Having found a tasty fruit or an appetizing leaf, the reptile holds it with its paw and bites off piece by piece. First, chunks of the fruit are cut off with a sharp beak, and then crushed with jaws and a fleshy tongue.

During the dry season, when moisture is very difficult to find, the turtle obtains water by eating cacti. Large reserves of fat allow it to survive drought, which, when broken down, provide the body with water.

At the slightest danger, the turtle hides in its shell, retracting its paws, neck and head. The bent front paws cover the head, and the soles of the hind paws close the gap between the plastron and the carapace.

Reproduction

During the mating season, males show extraordinary agility and activity. They constantly scurry around the island in search of a female. If you meet a competitor on the road, a fight cannot be avoided.

The rivals first swing their heads menacingly and open their mouths, and then with a loud puff they rush at each other, trying to bite the enemy on the neck or legs. Sometimes the more agile male manages to knock down the enemy and turn him onto his back. The defeated fighter sways with all his might, trying to get to his feet.

When a turtle is turned over on its back, its blood circulation is severely disrupted, and all internal organs reptiles begin to experience oxygen starvation. If she stays in this position for a very long time, she may even die, so she tries to quickly return to her normal position. The defeated competitor flees the battlefield, and the proud winner receives the right to procreate.

After fertilization, the male immediately leaves the female. Reproduction can take place all year round, but seasonal peaks of activity occur in June and February.

Females go to the same places with dry and sandy soil to lay eggs.

Over the course of several hours, or even days, the female digs a nest with her hind legs. The depth of the nest is about 30-40 cm. In it, the female lays from 2 to 17 round white eggs with a diameter of about 5 cm and weighing from 80 to 150 g.

Egg sizes may vary slightly among different subspecies. One female can dig and fill up to 3 holes with eggs. The reptile buries the finished masonry and carefully smoothes the surface with its paws. A hard, dry crust soon forms on the surface, but in the nest itself the humidity necessary for incubation is maintained.

Turtles are born after 2-3 months at the beginning of the rainy season. In case of prolonged drought, incubation can last up to 8 months. Without rain, turtles simply will not be able to get out through the hard crust.

Newborns weigh about 50-90 g and are left to their own devices from the first hours of their life. Their body length does not exceed 6 cm. During the day they hide in shelters, and at night they carefully come out to feed on young grass.

At 10-15 years of age, grown juveniles gradually move to higher elevations rich in food. The sex of elephant turtles can only be determined when they are over 15 years old. They become sexually mature at the age of 40 years. In captivity puberty occurs much earlier - by 20-25 years.

Description

The body length of adult Galapagos tortoises is about 120 cm and weighs 200-300 kg. Leading edge the powerful shell is curved in an arc. The horny scutes of the shell grow throughout their lives, becoming thicker every year.

The legs are massive, columnar. Paws are five-toed. All 5 fingers are armed with long, strong claws. The head is flat. The muzzle is clearly narrowed in front. The nostrils are located at the tip of the muzzle.

The neck is long and mobile. It is covered with soft elastic skin and can stretch like an accordion. The upper and lower jaws are devoid of teeth and have very sharp curved edges, which are covered with horny plates. The eyes are small and oval, black in color. The lifespan of elephant turtles exceeds 100 years.

Long-lived turtle

The longest-living record holder is the elephant tortoise Harietta, which was brought from the Galapagos Islands to Britain by Charles Darwin in 1835. The turtle was the size of a plate, so they decided that it was born in 1830.

In 1841 she ended up in Brisbane botanical garden in Australia. Since 1960 she lived at the Australia Zoo. On November 15, 2005, Australians solemnly celebrated her 175th birthday. The “baby” weighed 150 kg.

On June 23, 2006, the centenarian died suddenly after a short illness from heart failure.

Turtles are the living embodiment of wisdom and leisurely longevity. These reptiles appeared more than two hundred million years ago, survived the heyday of dinosaurs, and now still slowly but confidently roam the land and sea spaces of the hot regions of our planet. However, in lately the evolutionary tactics of passive defense that have saved turtles for many generations are losing their effectiveness. Some species are on the verge of extinction due to ocean pollution, drainage of swamps or plowing of land. Others were victims of deliberate destruction by the main predator-consumer: humans. Just recently our heroes from the Galapagos Islands were close to complete extermination. By the second half of the 20th century, the number of elephant turtles (Chelonoidis elephantopus) decreased to several thousand individuals. These “monumental” reptiles, reaching a weight of 400 kg and a length of 1.8 m, cannot but arouse admiration. It seems like just yesterday they were hiding in their shells from the “terrible lizards” of the Mesozoic; or maybe they came to the islands straight from an Indian tale?

Until the end of the 20th century, these reptiles were part of the genus Geochelone, which represents typical land turtles of all continents. However, in recent decades, scientists, based on modern molecular phylogenetic data, have divided this group into several independent genera. What kind of data is this? In its most general form, the method works like this. Scientists in laboratories extract DNA from turtle cells different types. Then the DNA is deciphered - the sequence of nucleotides - letters - is determined genetic code. At the last stage, statistics comes into play: it is necessary to compare all the obtained sequences for similarities and differences. More similar sequences in related species. This is very painstaking work, but this way you can build phylogenetic trees that reflect the course of evolution of the entire group: who is whose ancestor, which groups are sister, and who is closer to the original, unspecialized archetype.

So, one of the identified genera, Chelonoidis, includes South American turtles, which, as it turns out, are quite distant (in evolutionary terms) from their African and Asian relatives. Four species of this genus inhabit savannas and humid tropical forests mainland South America: coal (C. carbonaria), Argentine (C. chilensis), Brazilian (C. denticulata) and Chaco turtle (C. petersi). But the fifth species, the elephant itself, inhabits the Galapagos Islands and is divided into about a dozen subspecies - extinct and living.

The islands vary in turtle diversity. So, for example, on the largest island of the archipelago, Isabella, there are 5 subspecies, and not big islands Hispaniola and San Cristobal one each. This subspecies diversity prompted Charles Darwin to come up with the idea of ​​historical divergence (divergence) of closely related species. The elephant tortoise is the largest representative of turtles and one of the most large reptiles. The unusual size of island forms is generally a very characteristic ecological phenomenon: in the limited and relatively poor diversity of island faunas, in the absence of the pressure of numerous predators, large species often become smaller, and small ones grow. In addition, the elephant tortoise is one of the longest-living animals on Earth: in captivity, some individuals have lived for at least 170 years. (Species similar in longevity are whales: a century-old harpoon was recently found in one representative of right whales).

Different subspecies of elephant turtles differ in appearance. However, scientists recognize two morphs: relatively small, with long thin legs and a saddle-shaped carapace (the top of the shell), the turtles inhabit small, arid islands. Perhaps the flattened shell helps its owners climb into dense and tough thickets. Larger representatives of the species with a high, dome-shaped shell live on the large, humid islands of the Galapagos archipelago. Additionally, on larger islands, males are slightly larger than females and turtles are generally more social, often found in large groups.

Reproduction of elephant turtles begins with a confrontation between males. Two giants meet in a ritual fight, where the opponents rise to their feet and, opening their mouths, stretch their necks in front of each other. Usually the shorter, shorter-necked gentleman will yield to the dominant without a serious fight. During courtship, males may ram females with their heavy shells and bite their legs. The very process of intense mating is full of emotions. Suffice it to say that the characteristic grunts and “rhythmic moans” of males are among the rare vocalizations of turtles. After mating, the female travels to the sandy coast, where for many hours and days she digs a nesting chamber with her hind legs. Then she lays up to one and a half dozen round ones, the size of billiard ball eggs Females make up to 4 clutches per season. If everything is successful - the sand has not hardened in the sun and is not flooded with water, young turtles are born after a few (4-8) months. Almost the only predator for the young before the arrival of man was the Galapagos hawk. Young individuals spend the first 10-15 years in the lowlands of the islands.

At one time, the main enemy of elephant turtles was whalers, who replenished their provisions at the expense of reptiles. “Live canned food” could survive in the hold without food or water for many months. So, for example, the sailors of the famous whaler “Essex”, which became the prototype of Melville’s “Pequod”, caught about 300 turtles on the island of Hispaniola during a 7-day stay in 1819. According to some estimates, before the 20th century, whalers caught about 200,000 elephant turtles. In the same Hispaniola, by the beginning of the 1970s, the population size was only 14 adult individuals. Together with the first human colonists, the archipelago was inhabited by his companions: rats, dogs, sheep and pigs. All these species, one way or another, began to reduce the turtle’s well-being: they ate and trampled vegetation, hunted eggs and young animals.

Since 1959, Ecuador, which administers the Galapagos, has become concerned about the state of turtle populations and declared the islands a National Park, prohibiting the trapping of turtles and the collection of eggs. Large-scale measures began to protect reptiles: synanthropic (species adjacent to humans) predators and competitors began to be exterminated, and turtle nests began to be enclosed with fences made of volcanic lava. Also in 1959, the Charles Darwin Station was created on Santa Cruz Island, the main task of which is to increase the number of elephant turtles. Collected turtle eggs are brought from all over the island to the incubators of the biological station. The grown young animals are returned to their native habitats. Thanks to the measures taken, many subspecies successfully survived the crisis.

However, some people have sadly left forever. In June of this year (2012), Lonesome George, the only representative of the Abingdon elephant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni) from Pinta Island, passed away. For decades, scientists from the Darwin Biological Station tried to find a mate for George. In 2007, a female was even found on Isabella Island, genetically close to its relatives. However, it was never possible to obtain young turtles of this subspecies.