Tortoise
Galapagos tortoises have brown shells marked with black patterns. They can pull their heads, tails and legs completely inside their shells. There are two different shell shapes: domed and saddle-backed. Saddle-backed tortoises have longer necks and front legs, which enable them to reach vegetation that is higher off the ground.
Size 
Galapagos tortoises weigh between 100 and 600 pounds. They measure between four and five feet across the curvature of their shell.
Population
10,000 to 15,000 Galapagos tortoises occur in the wild.
Lifespan
Galapagos tortoises can live more than 150 years. They have one of the longest life spans of all vertebrates (animals with backbones).
Range
Galapagos tortoises occur on the Galapagos Islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean, about 600 miles off the coast of Equador.
Habitat
The environment and climate vary from island to island. Saddle-backed tortoises inhabit the hotter, drier islands with sparse vegetation, whereas domed tortoises inhabit the cooler, wetter islands with lush ground vegetation.
Food
Galapagos tortoises are herbivores. Their diet consists mostly of cactus, fruits, vines, grasses and other vegetation. Tortoises can store food and water so well that they can go without eating or drinking for up to one year!
Behavior
Like other reptiles, Galapagos tortoises are cold-blooded. They spend much of their day soaking up the sun to warm themselves. When the sun goes down and the temperature cools, tortoises sleep partially submerged in mud, water or brush to keep warm. Tortoises are extremely peaceful creatures.
Offspring
Females lay their eggs in nest holes near the coast. They cover the nest hole and then leave. The young tortoises hatch four to eight months later and weigh about three pounds at birth. If the nest temperature is low, more males will hatch, if the nest temperature is high, more females will hatch. |
