10/10/2023 0 Comments Pinta tortoise lifes cycle![]() Once buccaneers, whalers, and fur sealers discovered that they could have fresh meat for their long voyages by storing live tortoises in their ships, a long-lasting hunting season began. The giants’ remarkable ability to survive was unfortunately the indirect cause of their demise. This is the reason why when presented with a reasonably big puddle they have been noted to shamelessly gulp at it taking in as many mouthfuls as possible. Superior to all, the Galapagos Tortoise is capable of storing food and water for up to one year. Therefore, adaptability is key to surviving the challenges presented by the Enchanted Islands. Yet, food and water are not always available. That includes native fruit, grass, and the crowd-pleasing cactus pads. When it comes to food the Galapagos Tortoises can choose from the menu offered to most inhabitants of the islands. This can be observed in the endemic species found on Isabela Island, San Cristobal and Santa Cruz island. In contrast, a larger Galapagos island that has developed cloud forests in it's highlands and has a more humid vegetation that is closer to the ground is the ideal environment for the domed tortoise. Saddle backed tortoises species are found on smaller arid islands with sparse vegetation, hence the Espanola tortoise as well as those found on Pinzon Island and of course lonesome george who was a species from Pinta island all have something in common: saddleback shells. The type of vegetation on each island, the survival conditions and the challenges towards finding food is perhaps the main catalyst in these changes in shape and size. These adaptations in between different species, can in fact be considered the birth of a new breed. Endemic to hotter, drier, islands where vegetation is more sparse these giants developed throughout the years a saddled shell that allows the tortoise to stretch its neck upward and reach higher growing plants On the other hand, the saddle-backed tortoise is a true freak of nature, or simply a true evolutionary champion. ![]() This tortoise is also fond of more humid climates that offer a wealth of low-hanging vegetation which is easily reached by the crawling tortoises. Resembling half of a soccer ball the dome-shelled tortoise has a neatly round, shiny shell and is generally larger than its cousin. It is precisely the shells that separate the different species and subspecies of giant tortoises. There are two options from which to choose: the dome-shelled giant tortoise and the saddle-backed tortoises. It would be interesting to find out which domed tortoise Darwin tried to mount and couldn’t.
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