Santiago Island giant tortoise


The Santiago Island giant tortoise, also known as the James Island tortoise, is a species of Galápagos tortoise endemic to Santiago Island in the Galápagos.

Population history

Large numbers of tortoises were removed from the island in the early 19th century by whaling vessels, and introduced goats reduced the coastal lowlands to deserts, restricting the remaining tortoises to the interior. The sex ratio is strongly imbalanced in favour of the males and most nests and young are destroyed by feral pigs. Some nests are now protected by lava corrals and since 1970, eggs have been transported to the Charles Darwin Research Station for hatching and rearing. Release programs and measures for nest protection from feral pigs have been successful. There are approximately 1165 individuals in the wild, with an increasing population.

Description

The gray to black carapace is intermediate in shape between the saddle-backed species and the domed species. It has only a shallow cervical indentation; the anterior carapacial rim is not appreciably upturned, and the posterior marginals are flared, slightly upturned, and slightly serrated.

Etymology

The species was named for Charles Darwin.