Galapagos Wildlife
LAND BIRDS
Galapagos Dove (Zenaida galapagoenis)
The Galapagos dove is most commonly seen on the ground where it forages for seeds and fruits. It is reddish brown with black and white markings, touches of incandescent green, red feet and a bright blue eye ring. The Dove grows to be between 18 and 23cm long. Its bill is curved downward, larger and more curved than most other doves. A process of evolution on Genovesa Island has softened the spines of cactus plants and thereby allowed the Galapagos dove access to pollinate the flowers.
REPTILES
Giant Tortoises (Geochelone elephantopus)
The undisputed king of Galapagos Islands reptiles is the giant tortoise. How the big guys (up to 250kg) first came to inhabit the islands is still a mystery. Their closest relative is a species native to Argentina. Sadly, three of the original 14 sub-species are now extinct as a result of human interference, and introduced animals continue to harass the remaining populations. The very characteristics that enabled the turtles to endure millions of years of climate and landscape change have also played a part in the decimation of their population. Sailors and pirates found the giant tortoises excellent sources of meat, especially since the reptiles could live for up to a year without food and thus provide fresh meat for an entire voyage. Even worse, hunters targeted the much smaller, and thus easier to transport, female turtles over the massive males, which further damaged the population's reproductive capabilities. While these tortoises can live to be over 150 years old, they do not reproduce often, and when they do, the vulnerable hatchlings have an extremely low chance of reaching maturity. The Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Center are doing what they can to prevent predation and boost the head count. The largest tortoise population is found on Isabela, concentrated around the crater of Alcedo volcano. Wild tortoises can also be observed on Santa Cruz and Española Islands. Captive tortoises reside at the Charles Darwin Research Center on Santa Cruz and the Breeding Center for Giant Tortoises on Isabela.
Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas)
The Pacific green sea turtle calls many of the islands home, breeding from November to January and laying eggs till June. Nesting females plod onto the beach at nighttime, dig an enormous nesting hole in the sand, bury a few dozen eggs, and urinate and defecate on the resulting sand mound to harden the sand and protect the fragile eggs. After about six months, hatched sea turtles quickly scurry to the water, many snatched up by predators along the way. In those few risky moments, they apparently develop a sentimental attachment: after wandering to waters hundreds or thousands of kilometers away, the turtles amazingly return to lay their eggs on the exact same beach where they themselves were hatched.
Land Iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus)
Less exotic (but also endemic) orangish-green land Iguanas can grow up to 1m in length. Keep an eye out for the prickly pear Iguanas on Santa Fe and South Plazas, the rare hybrid Iguana on South Plazas, and the crested canolophus pallidus land iguana species, found only on Santa Fe. Land iguanas reach maturity between 8 and 15 years of age. Males are territorial and will aggressively defend specific areas that typically include more than one female. Following the mating period, the female iguanas migrate to suitable areas to nest, and will lay between 2 and 25 eggs in a burrow dug in the sandy soil. The female defends the burrow for a short time, to prevent other females from nesting in the same place. The young iguanas hatch 3-4 months later, and take about a week to dig their way out of the nest. If they survive the first difficult years of life, when food is often scarce and predators are a danger, land iguanas can live for more than 50 years.
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