The Galapagos Islands’ New Tortoise

The Floreana Giant Tortoise has made its return to the Galapagos Islands. The tortoise’s return to this island is predicted to be very helpful to island life on the Galapagos.

The tortoises are going to be very helpful to the Galapagos environment because they have changed ecological routines for almost 200 years, their return possibly setting these changes back to normal. By spreading seeds, they can open habitats, giving new nesting places for avian animals such as birds.

The Galapagos Islands were the species’ ancestral home, (so the first place they lived,) but they died out due to humans eating them, along with the destruction of their habitats, which introduced animals such as pigs, goats, and rodents, which pose a large threat to tortoises as they prey on their eggs, a lot of times preventing any offspring at all.

The species is expected to start making a comeback, as 158 hybrids of the species were introduced to the Galapagos Islands again. The scientists have high hopes for the tortoises reintroduction! For more updates and info, check galapagosconservation.org.

The Galapagos Islands

Works Cited:

https://galapagosconservation.org.uk/floreana-giant-tortoise-reintroduction/?srsltid=AfmBOornI3kV85gksKpeDqE6kw9PWw0AHIl2XmlOhIVKBErsg9mTtYj-

https://www.darwinfoundation.org/en/news/all-news-stories/158-endangered-tortoises-released-onto-floreana-island-galapagos-for-first-time-in-over-180-years