Galapagos elephant tortoise. Elephant tortoise (Exo) Message about Galapagos tortoises

The black elephant (Galapagos) tortoise lives in the Galapagos Islands. This is the largest of all modern turtles: its huge shell reaches 110 cm in length and 60 cm in height. The weight of adult specimens is about 100 kg, and individual giants can weigh 400 kg. Interestingly, the elephant turtle got its name not only for its size, but also for its unique appearance. To support its heavy and massive body, this reptile has powerful columnar legs, truly reminiscent of an elephant’s. And her skin on the limbs and neck protruding from under the shell is very similar to that 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. Galapagos tortoises are diurnal and feed on a variety of plants, including poisonous ones. Since their living conditions are not the most favorable, they are quite unpretentious in their diet. The largest part of the diet consists of 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, and algae. Among the plants that elephant tortoises enjoy eating are stinging nettles and various thorny bushes that do not cause them any harm. Turtles do not refuse carrion either. When not eating, they spend the time in liquid mud, escaping the heat and blood-sucking insects. At night, turtles dig shallow holes in which they hide the back of their body. Elephant tortoises can also be found in tropical deciduous forests, on shrub plains and savannas, as well as in the lowlands of the Galapagos Islands, covered with solidified lava. In search of fresh water and accessible 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. Living in arid areas, this reptile can go without water and food for a long time. 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.

Elephant tortoises are undoubtedly the most striking attraction of the Galapagos Islands. They were discovered by Spanish navigators back in the 17th century. In those days, turtles lived there in countless numbers. Such an abundance of easily accessible food attracted whalers and pirates to these islands. Before a long journey, they filled the holds of their ships with hundreds of turtles, which provided them with fresh and tasty meat and relieved hunger and scurvy. The extermination of turtles assumed gigantic proportions - according to ship logs, it is estimated that only 79 whaling ships over 36 years in the middle of the last century took 10,373 turtles from the islands. According to a rough estimate, over three centuries, sailors destroyed about 10 million of these animals. But, unfortunately, the troubles of the Galapagos tortoises did not end there. Ecuadorian settlers brought dogs, cats, pigs, goats and horses to the islands, some of them went wild and settled on the mountain slopes. Dogs, cats and pigs began eating turtle eggs and juveniles, and goats, cows and horses, destroying vegetation, deprived adult turtles of available food. Zoologists have described as many as 16 subspecies of Galapagos tortoises, many of which lived on one of the islands, but now some of the subspecies have been completely exterminated, and the rest are listed in the IUCN Red List. The black elephant turtle population lives in the grasslands of St. Croix and is considered the largest of all subspecies.

In order for elephant tortoises to mate successfully, the males have a small notch on the bottom of their shell that allows them to climb onto the female's shell and hang on to it. During the breeding season, males behave extremely aggressively: they hit each other with their shells and bite. Females lay eggs every year in the same pre-selected warm and safe place. The number of eggs in an elephant tortoise's clutch ranges from 2 to 20, and it lays them in a 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 mature for 6-7 months, and the hatched elephant turtles, weighing only 70 g, break the ground and climb to the surface on their own.

As a rule, when we talk about this animal, we mean the giant Galapagos tortoise, or, as it is also called, the elephant tortoise.

The word “galapago” itself translated from Spanish means turtle. The Galapagos Islands once received their name because of the abundance of these animals, which literally covered the sandbanks and beaches with an even carpet.

Who is she - an elephant turtle?

This animal is endemic to the islands. The term “endemic” means that a particular species of animal has a strictly limited, small habitat and is not found anywhere else in the world under natural conditions. For example, Baikal seals are endemic to the lake.

Galapagos tortoises received their second name “elephant” because of their enormous size. They are the largest of all species of land turtles living on the planet. In addition to the size, the long neck also played a role, reminiscent of an elephant’s trunk much more than the body of a reptile.

Since the discovery of the islands by the Spaniards in the mid-sixteenth century, the number of “shelled elephants” began to decline steadily. Sailors were interested in these animals solely as food “preserved” by nature, because turtles remained alive for a long time in the holds without water, food or light. That is, they were ideal provisions.

Later they also became a profitable product. Everything was in demand - shells, meat, leather. In addition, the Galapagos began to be actively populated at the end of the century before last. People brought cattle and horses with them, and began to engage in agriculture, which had a detrimental effect on the unique ecological system of the islands.

All this led to the fact that by 1970, about three thousand elephant turtles remained in the wild. It was then that their protection began. There are now many more “shelled elephants” than in the last century, but they are still considered a vulnerable and near-endangered species, according to the Red Book.

Paradoxical as it may seem, Galapagos tortoises are still not at all afraid of people. You can approach them and pet them. Such videos are often posted on the Internet by travelers who are lucky enough to visit the turtle islands.

How big is it?

The elephant tortoise is truly huge. The average length of its shell is 1.2 meters. And the average weight is 300 kilograms. However, the islands are home to not one main species of elephant tortoise, but two. They differ from each other in appearance and have their own subspecies.

On the small, empty islands of the Galapagos Islands, which have a hot, arid climate, live long-legged and compact tortoises that weigh very little. Females do not reach a weight of 30 kilograms. And the average weight of a male is about 50-54 kilograms. Their shell is similar in shape to a saddle. It is elongated and flat. A child can easily sit astride such a turtle and feel completely comfortable in such a “saddle.”

Those living in the humid climate of the large islands covered with tropical forest are completely different in appearance. These are real giants, proudly wearing a huge convex shell, reminiscent of an egg or a dome. Comparing such a majestic animal with a pie or sitting astride it and trying to ride it would not occur to even the most mischievous child. The largest of these “elephants in shells,” according to scientists, weigh about 400 kilograms and their length reaches 185 centimeters.

How long does such a turtle live?

It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of how long these animals can live. The only thing scientists know for sure is that the Galapagos tortoise does not live less than a hundred years. The life expectancy of captured adults in zoos was no less than 170 years. But how long the animal lived before being placed in artificial conditions has always remained unknown.

Although the shell of turtles is covered with a pattern that is replenished with a new circle every year, it is impossible to determine the age from it. Part of the ornament constantly disappears, wears out under the influence of the environment and the mechanical influence of other turtles, especially during mating games.

How do they reproduce?

Galapagos tortoises are very loving. They do not have a clearly defined mating season; turtle love can be observed all year round. Although they also do not refuse seasonal exacerbations.

The result of this active life position of “elephants in shells” is a clutch of up to 22 eggs, each of which weighs an average of 70 grams.

What are they eating?

Galapagos animals always include the clause that the animal can live for several months without water and food, but in fact they love to eat. This is why they grow so huge.

“Elephants in shells” feed exclusively on plant foods, but they are omnivorous vegetarians. They eat everything - shoots, roots, berries, herbs and so on. Interestingly enough, Galapagos tortoises quite calmly eat and digest local poisonous plants, which are deadly to all other inhabitants of the islands.

The turtle order dates back more than 220 million years. All its representatives can be divided into 2 groups: sea and land turtles. We meet the former in the seas and oceans, and the latter, accordingly, live on land.

The variety of land turtles is quite large. Among them there are both dwarfs, for example, the Madagascar spider tortoise, and giants - the most famous of which is the Galapagos tortoise, whose weight can reach 300 kilograms. That's what we'll talk about today.

These turtles live only on the Galapagos Islands. You won’t find them anywhere else in the world in their natural habitat. By the way, the islands got their name in honor of these turtles.

The fact is that when Spanish sailors reached these islands in 1535, they simply abounded in huge turtles. And at that time, sailors, pirates and other sea people had a special interest in living turtles - they were excellent “live” canned food for them, which could live in the holds of ships for up to six months and do without food. “Galapagos” translates to “turtle” in Spanish, and the Galapagos Islands literally mean “turtle islands.”

Many animals living here have one peculiarity - they are not afraid of humans. People began to inhabit these small pieces of land only in 1832, when the islands were captured by Ecuador. Charles Darwin visited here in 1835. He was able to breed one Galapagos tortoise, which he then transferred to an English zoo. She was named Henrietta. Then her home became the Steve Irwin Zoo in Australia. Her 175th birthday was celebrated in 2005, and in November 2006 she died of old age.

In principle, longevity in elephant turtles is quite common. They can easily live up to 170-180 years. But there are, more precisely, there were 2 turtles whose age crossed the 300-year mark. According to RIA Novosti, citing local media, in 2006, the oldest animal in the world at that time, a Galapagos tortoise named Samira, died in the Cairo closed zoo. Her age was estimated at 315 years. Before that, in 1992, her “husband” also died there, who was a little short of 400 years old. Well, now let's get back to the turtles themselves.

Galapagos tortoises are famous for their impressive size. The length of their shell can reach 120-125 centimeters, and their weight can reach 300 kilograms. But not every animal can boast of such parameters. For example, on large, wet islands, turtles grow to similar sizes, but on neighboring small and arid islands they are smaller. There, the weight of males rarely exceeds 54 kilograms, and their legs are thinner and longer than their “larger” counterparts.

The main diet of these turtles mainly consists of plant foods - grass and shrubs. But they still managed to stand out from the rest of the Galapagos animal world. These turtles can eat poisonous plants without harm to their health, which other inhabitants do not even touch. In rare cases, they may taste meat, for example, some kind of rodent.

Elephant turtles are considered one of the most prolific turtles. The female lays about 20 eggs once a year, with a diameter of 6-7 centimeters. If you count, then on average over 150 years she produces about 3,000 eggs. At first glance - a lot. But only a couple of dozen, or even less, survive to “come of age.”

These giants often suffer from blood-sucking ticks, but cannot get rid of them on their own. In this matter, small birds come to their aid - Darwin's or Galapagos finches. Having flown up to the turtle, the bird begins to jump in front of its face. Then the turtle begins to slowly retract its neck and raise its head. The bird flies up onto this kind of “perch” and begins to inspect the reptile’s skin, pecking off ticks from it.

Since the discovery of these islands, the turtles have been in serious danger of extinction. Over the course of 2.5 centuries, several hundred thousand turtles were destroyed on the islands. The reasons for this “nightmare” were the export of turtles as “live canned food” and the settlement of these islands by people who brought with them foreign representatives of flora and fauna.

Until the 30s of the 20th century, no measures were taken to preserve and restore the population of these animals. It was only in 1936 that the Galapagos Islands were declared a national park, which occupies almost 97.5% of the total area of ​​the entire territory. The islands were declared a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1978 and a World Biosphere Heritage Site in 1985.

The elephant tortoise is the largest species of tortoise in existence today.

Reproduction

Elephant turtles lay eggs on land by digging a hole, laying the eggs, and then burying them again. The egg is the size of a tennis ball. Females lay approximately 14-22 eggs; it is very rare for a female to lay 2-4 eggs. In a year, a female can lay eggs 2 times, it all depends on the habitat.

The mating period for the female lasts from February to May, and the laying of eggs lasts from June to September.

Cubs are born after 120-140 days, weighing 70-80 g at birth.

Newly born baby elephant turtle

Juvenile elephant turtle

During the rutting period, males make the sound of a roaring elephant, thereby attracting the attention of females to themselves - which is why they were given the name “elephant turtles”.

In the 60s, the Americans negotiated and wanted to place their military base on this island, which would endanger this rare species of turtles. But the project was rejected, thus saving the rare species of elephant turtles.

Now about 100 thousand elephant turtles live on Aldabra.

Also, the population of this species is studied in many zoos around the world; about 30 wonderful turtles have already been bred at the San Diego Zoo.

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

There are currently 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 the National Park. Their artificial breeding began 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 the internal organs of the reptile 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. Breeding can occur 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 richer 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, sexual maturity occurs much earlier - by 20-25 years.

Description

The body length of adult Galapagos tortoises is about 120 cm and weighs 200-300 kg. The front edge of 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 came to the 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.