The Galapagos tortoise is the largest living tortoisevariety, a total of 12 subspecies, but no matter which subspecies, the number is the same It is very rare, and two subspecies have also been determined to be extinct. The most regrettable is that the death of "Lonely George" who died in 2012 attracted the attention of the world, representing the death of the last turtle of this subspecies.

Chinese name: Galapagos giant tortoise

English name: Galapagos Giant Tortoise

Latin name: Chelonoidis nigra, Geochelone nigra, Testudo nigra, Testudo elephantopus, Geochelone elephantopus, Chelonoidis elephantopus

Kingdom: Animalia

phylum: Chordate

Class: Reptiles

Order : Turtles

Suborder: Turtles

Family: Tortoise

Genus: Elephantine

Species: Galapagos tortoise

Subspecies: 12 subspecies

Named and dated: Quoy & Gaimard, 1824

Conservation status: Plus The Lapagos Islands are now protected by the Ecuadorian government as a national park and a World Heritage Site.

The tortoise group found in the Galapagos Islands, the subspecies are classified as follows:

G. n. abingdoni - Pinta Island (Pinta Island tortoise) (extinct, only Survived old male tortoise "Lonesome George", who died in 2012)

G. n. becki - near Wolf Crater in northern Isabela Island (Isabela Island tortoise)

G . n. chathamensis - San Cristobal Island (Chatham Islands tortoise)

G. n. darwini - San Diego Island (James Island tortoise)

G. n. ephippium - Pinzon Island (Pinzon Island Tortoise)

G. n. guntheri - Isabela Island in Negra Mountains (Isabela Island Tortoise)

G. n. hoodensis - Espanola Island (Hood Island tortoises)

G. n. microphyes - Isabela Island near Darwin Crater (Isabela Island tortoises)

G. n. nigra - southwest of Isabela Island (Isabela Island tortoises) tortoise) (extinct)

G. n. porteri - Santa Cruz Island (Santa Cruz Island tortoise)

G. n. phantastica - Fernandina Island (Fernandina Island Tortoise) (extinct)

G. n. vandenburghi - at the Alcedo crater, Isabela island (Isabela island tortoise)

G. n. vicina - Cerro Azul volcano, south of Isabela island Mouth (Iguana Bay Tortoise)

G. n. galapagoensis - (Charles Island Tortoise)

The carapace of the Galapagos tortoise is like a huge pot. You can't imagine how strong its limbs are, and it can drive its huge carapace, such as If you thought tortoises were slow, you would be wrong. Galapagos tortoises are fast and very persistent.

The Galapagos tortoise is the largest living tortoise. The body length is 1.2 meters. The adult tortoise male is larger than the female. The adult male weighs about 272~320 kg, while the female is 136~180 kg. Life expectancy is estimated to be up to 200 years. Big head and long neck. The center of the carapace is high, and the vertebral shield is 5 pieces; the costal shield is 4 pieces on each side; the marginal shield is 9 pieces on each side, and the front and rear edges are slightly serrated and slightly raised; the neck shield is 1 piece; the hip shield is single piece, larger. Limbs stout, columnar. The carapace, limbs, head and tail are khaki to blue-black, and some individuals have irregular black spots on the vertebral shield and rib shield, and the skin is loose and wrinkled.

The Galapagos tortoise has a large, heavy bony brown carapace. Galapagos tortoises are sexually dimorphic, with the most pronounced male and female in the shelled horseback type population, the male has more angles and a higher front opening, giving him a more extreme appearance. Male tortoises of all subspecies generally have longer tails with shorter concave thickened sides of the shell tails to facilitate mating.

Because of the obvious differences in the ecological environment of different islands in the Galapagos Islands, the tortoises of different subspecies have different shapes, showing different types of carapace shapes.

The Galapagos tortoise is a ectotherm (cold-blooded), so , After dawn, it needs to absorb the heat of the sun, 1-2 hours a day, and 8-9 hours a day for foraging. Most of them are active and walking in the early morning, and rest in the evening. The walking speed of this species has been observed to be 0.3 kilometers per hour. The way they sometimes rest is by rolling in the mud pits formed by the rain, possibly on cool nights, to protect their bodies from the bites of parasites such as mosquitoes and ticks. Parasites can also be eliminated in a loose soil dust bath.

The Galapagos tortoise is herbivorous and its diet includes cacti, grasses, leaves, moss, lichens and berries. Guavas, water ferns, and bromeliads have also been recorded to consume an average of 32-36 kg per day, but inefficient digestive systems limit nutrient absorption. Their body's water intake mainly comes from dew and plant sap, especially cactus plants. Galapagos tortoises can go without water for long periods of time and still survive for 18 months when deprived of all food and water. When thirsty, they drink large amounts of water very quickly, storing them in their bladders or in the "pericardium" of their necks, which are the species' reservoir of water. On arid islands, tortoises will lick the morning dew on boulders, as many generations of giant tortoises have formed half-circle-shaped depressions in these rocks because of repeated licking.

The Galapagos tortoise is huge, like a dwarf If you look closely at the head of the ancient dinosaur that Luo Ji traveled through, you will find that he has no pointed teeth, indicating that it is a herbivorous creature.

The Galapagos tortoises are ectotherms (cold-blooded animals), so they are exposed to the sun for 1-2 hours to absorb the heat of the sun, and they will actively forage after dawn. They sleep 8-9 hours a day, mostly in the early morning or early evening. Meanwhile, they travel at a speed of 0.3 kilometers (0.2 miles) per hour. On larger, wetter, and lower-elevation islands, seasonal migration occurs between turtles, and during the dry season, they migrate to grassland areas at higher elevations (610 m). The same route has been around for a long time, creating a well-traveled path, while being tortoiseThe brush through which it passes is known as the "Turtle Highway".

The Galapagos tortoise is a herbivore that eats cacti, grass, leaves, moss, and berries. A turtle eats an average of 32 to 36 kilograms of food per day, but because the digestive system is less efficient, it takes in less nutrients. Tortoises get most of their water from dew and sap from plants, so they can go without water for long periods of time. They can also endure up to 18 months without food or water; when thirsty, they can drink both large and fast, and store in their bladder and heart, so that they don't need to drink for a long time. Drink water. On arid islands, tortoises lick dew early in the morning on boulders, many of which have been rocked by depressions created by successive generations of this behavior.