How long do Galapagos tortoises live. Elephant tortoise - Seychelles tortoise. Interesting facts about giant tortoises

The detachment of turtles is already more than 220 million years old. All its representatives can be divided into 2 groups: sea and land turtles. The first we meet in the seas and oceans, and the second, respectively, live on land.

The variety of land turtles is quite large. Among them, there are both dwarfs, for example, the Madagascar spider turtle, and giants - the most famous of which is the Galapagos tortoise, whose weight can reach 300 kilograms. That's what we'll talk about today.

These turtles live only in the Galapagos Islands. You will not find them anywhere else in the world, in their natural habitat. By the way, the islands got their name in honor of these turtles.

Galapagos Islands

The fact is that when Spanish sailors reached these islands in 1535, they simply abounded huge turtles. And at that time, seafarers, pirates and other sea people had a special interest in live turtles - they were excellent “live” canned food for them, which could live in the holds of ships for up to six months and do without food. "Galapagos" is Spanish for "turtle", and the Galapagos Islands literally mean "turtle islands".

Many animals living here have one feature - they are not afraid of humans. People began to populate these small patches of land only from 1832, when the islands were captured by Ecuador. Charles Darwin visited here in 1835. He was able to breed one Galapagos tortoise, which he then transferred to the maintenance of the English zoo. They named her Henrietta. Then her home was the Steve Irwin Zoo in Australia. In 2005, her 175th birthday was celebrated, and in November 2006 she died of old age.

In principle, longevity in elephant tortoises is quite common. They can easily live up to 170-180 years. But there are, more precisely, there were 2 turtles, whose age crossed the 300-year mark. According to RIA Novosti, citing local media, in 2006, the oldest animal in the world at that time, a Galapagos tortoise named Samira, died in the Cairo Closed Zoo. Her age was estimated at 315 years. Prior to that, in 1992, her “husband” also died there, who was a little short of 400 years old. Now, back to the turtles themselves.

Galapagos tortoises are famous for their impressive size. The length of their shell can reach 120-125 centimeters, and weight - 300 kilograms. But not every animal can boast of such parameters. For example, on large wet islands, turtles grow to similar sizes, but on neighboring small and arid islands, they are smaller. There, the weight of males rarely exceeds 54 kilograms, and the legs are thinner and longer than their “big” counterparts.

The main diet of these turtles mainly consists of plant foods - grass and shrubs. But they still managed to stand out among the rest of the animal world of the Galapagos. These turtles can eat poisonous plants without harm to health, which the rest of the inhabitants do not even touch. In rare cases, they can taste meat, for example, some kind of rodent.

Elephant tortoises are considered to be among the most prolific among tortoises. The female once a year lays about 20 eggs, 6-7 centimeters in diameter. If you calculate, then on average for 150 years it brings about 3,000 eggs. At first glance, a lot. But only a couple of dozen, or even less, survive to "adulthood".

These giants often suffer from bloodsucking mites, but they cannot get rid of them on their own. In this case, small birds come to their aid - Darwin or Galapagos finches. Having flown up to the turtle, the bird begins to jump in front of its very muzzle. Then the turtle begins to slowly retract its neck and raises its head. The bird flies up to this peculiar "perch" and begins to examine the skin of the reptile, pecking ticks from it.

Since the discovery of these islands, a serious threat of extinction has hung over the turtles. For 2.5 centuries, several hundred thousand turtles were destroyed on the islands. The reasons for this "nightmare" were the export of turtles as "live canned food" and the settlement of these islands by people who brought with them alien representatives of flora and fauna.

Until the 30s of the 20th century, no measures were taken to preserve and restore the population of these animals. And only in 1936 the Galapagos Islands were declared a national park, which occupies almost 97.5% of total area throughout the territory. In 1978, the islands were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in 1985, a World Biosphere Heritage Site.

One of the most interesting squads The tortoise is considered to be a reptile. Scientists who studied the ancient remains in order to find out how many years she lives on the planet, found that their existence on Earth lasts more than 220 million years. These are rare animals that can live on land and in water. The turtle is a reptile that has 328 species grouped into 14 families.

Name origin

If we consider the Slavic and Latin origin of the name of the reptile, then it is easy to see the common. Both languages ​​show in the word a response to appearance: translated from Latin "tile", "vessel of clay", "brick"; from Slavic - "shard".

Indeed, many turtles resemble the stone for which the people who gave this name took them. Despite this etymology of the name, there is also an indication of the unique shape and coloring of hard shells.

What do turtles look like?

In the diversity of turtle species, there are signs common to all that unite them into one order.

chief hallmark the detachment is the shell, which absolutely all representatives have. It consists of a carapace (dorsal) and a plastron (abdominal), interconnected. This durable device serves, first of all, to protect the animal from enemies. If necessary, the turtle is fully capable of hiding its body and head into it, lowering upper part and remain protected from any attack on it.

The shells are covered with hard horny scutes, which vary in color and shape depending on the species. There are holes in which the paws, head, tail go out and are drawn in as needed.

The strength of the shell, as studies have shown, is so great that it can withstand a weight exceeding the weight of an animal by 200 times.

Reptiles periodically molt: old skin comes off their shell with scales, while the color becomes brighter.

How much does a turtle weigh? Turtle sizes

The turtle is a unique reptile. Some species can reach giant size- up to 2 meters, and weigh up to a ton. But there are also tiny representatives, whose weight does not exceed 120 grams, and the size is 10 cm.

Each type of turtle has its own parameters, which we will describe, characterizing them separately.

Paws

All species have four paws, which, if necessary, can be hidden in the shell.

The structure depends on the lifestyle, species. Terrestrial are distinguished by thickened front legs, suitable for digging soil, and powerful hind legs, which help to move on the surface. river turtle, living in fresh water, has membranes between the fingers. The sea turtle, evolving, acquired fins instead of legs, and the front ones are much larger than the back ones.

Tail

Almost everyone has a tail, the length of which depends on the species and lifestyle. If necessary, the tail can be retracted into the shell.

For swimming reptiles, it performs the function of a kind of rudder that helps to maneuver in the water, and is more developed than that of land-based counterparts.

Head and neck

All turtles have a medium-sized head with a streamlined shape. When danger arises, many representatives of this class hide their heads in their shells. But there are turtles that have enough big size head and cannot pull it in.

Depending on the species, the front part of the head is elongated or flat, but it always ends with nostrils.

The eyes are also located differently: in reptiles living on the ground, they are directed downwards, while in swimming they are much higher. Animals have excellent eyesight and see this world in color.

Some turtles have fairly long necks. In other representatives, they are of medium size and are perfectly retracted into the shell if necessary.

Sometimes these animals sticking their heads out of the water are mistaken for huge snakes.

In many representatives of the species, the oral part begins with a hard beak-shaped process, with which they easily bite off even the hardest food and are able to catch prey. The edges of these processes can be either sharp or jagged.

But they don't have teeth. The chewing movements that reptiles produce are needed to move food down the throat. The language also helps them in this.

Despite the lack of teeth, the jaws of turtles are powerful, able to cope with almost any food.

Sexual characteristics of the turtle

The sex of turtles is determined by their appearance and behavior, since these animals do not have clear genital differences, and it is almost impossible to figure out the sex at a glance. However, males differ from females:

• in the shape of the shell (more elongated in females);
• Bottom part the shell in males is slightly concave, in females it is flat;
• the tail of males is longer, wider and thicker, it is more bent down;
• according to the shape of the anus;
• in males, the claws of the front paws are somewhat longer;
• a small notch in the shell in the tail area is present only in males;
• the behavior of males is active.

In some species, gender, in addition to the indicated signs, is expressed by the color or shape of the head.

In nature, these reptiles are completely herbivorous, carnivorous and omnivorous. Most eat both plant and animal foods.

Lifespan

On average in wild nature turtles live about 20-30 years. But it depends on the type of reptile. There are centenarians who can reach 200 years of age. As a rule, turtles live longer in captivity, but this also depends on the species and conditions of detention.

Turtle species

The long stay of representatives of this detachment on the planet made it possible to divide into 328 species that differ outward signs, size, habitat, diet and lifestyle.

The classification involves the division of reptiles, depending on how they hide their heads in the shell, into crypto-cervical and side-necked. The first group presses the head into the shell by contracting the neck muscles. The second is folded to the side, under one of the front paws.

Another classification is based on the habitat of these reptiles:

• sea ​​turtle - lives in the salty waters of the seas and oceans;
• terrestrial - able to live both on the surface of the earth and in fresh waters; this variety, in turn, is divided into freshwater and land.

This sea turtle has chosen for its life the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and even Indian oceans.

There are two subspecies of these reptiles: the Atlantic and the Eastern Pacific. Its elongated-oblong shell can be not only green, but also dark brown with yellow and white stripes or spots.

The reptiles got their name not for the external color, but for the color of the meat that was eaten.

The green turtle is one of the largest species. The length of its shell can reach up to 2 m, and weight up to 400 kg.

Juveniles live exclusively in the water where they feed small fish, shellfish, jellyfish. Adult reptiles come ashore, where they begin to eat plant foods, which eventually become their main diet.

The tasty meat of these animals was traditionally used for food (they are even called soup), which led to a reduction in the population. Hunting them is currently prohibited in many countries.

The onset of puberty occurs after 10 years, sometimes much later. Reptiles mate in the water, but they make their clutches on the shore, in the same places where their predecessors laid their eggs. They dig very large holes in which up to 200 eggs are placed. Baby turtles, hatching, run towards the water. If they manage to get there, they will spend many years in the ocean, until the moment comes when they themselves have to go ashore to give birth.

If your pet has become a sea turtle, keep in mind that caring for it at home is much more difficult than for terrestrial ones, since you need to have spacious aquariums with water adapted for the reptile.

Another name for this species is Chinese trionyx, or chinese turtle. The Far Eastern tortoise prefers to live on the mud-covered bottom of large lakes and rivers with gentle overgrown banks. Their habitat is Primorye, southern part Cupid in Russia, Vietnam, China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

The Far Eastern tortoise is green-brown or green-gray in color with pale yellowish spots. Its usual size is about 30 cm, but there were individuals up to 40 cm with a weight of more than 4 kilograms. They have fleshy lips covering strong jaws.

The shell of these animals in young individuals has a rounded shape. It becomes flatter with age. hallmark young individuals is a bright orange abdomen, the color of which becomes pale over time.

The Chinese turtle is able to hunt both in water and on land, where it gets out to bask in the sun. These reptiles hibernate by burrowing into the mud.

The food of these predatory reptiles consists of fish, mollusks, amphibians and insects. Your prey far eastern tortoise can guard for a long time, digging into the silt.

At the age of 6-7 years, the Far Eastern tortoise becomes sexually mature. Usually in July they lay their eggs a short distance from the water. During the season, the female makes several clutches, from which about 70 turtles appear. After 1.5 - 2 months, babies appear, the size of which is not more than 3 cm. They quickly run to the water and for a long time lurk in coastal vegetation and between rocks.

The Far Eastern tortoise has a rather aggressive character and can strongly bite the attacker on it.

If with early age this turtle lives in the house, it easily gets used to a person and can even eat from his hands.

Living in the southeast of Eurasia, this steppe loves humid terrain in river valleys, foothills, agricultural land, sandy and clay semi-deserts. Animals dig holes or occupy empty ones.

Observations shed light on how many years this turtle lives. It turns out that life expectancy depends on its activity. At home, in a closed terrarium, she will hardly overcome the 15-year milestone, when in the wild she can live for 30 years. Not in the natural environment, the Central Asian tortoise, even if care and nutrition are as close as possible to natural ones, lives much less.

The Central Asian tortoise does not grow more than 20 cm, while males are slightly smaller than females.

This steppe tortoise hibernates quite early: at the beginning of summer, right after it lays its eggs. This is due to the fact that it is this time in their habitat that is the most arid. The lack of food in sufficient quantities causes them to wait out in a state of sleep.

The Central Asian tortoise has a very beautiful shell - reddish-olive with dark spots of a rounded shape.

Reptiles of this species are dark brown, dark olive, almost black in color with small yellow strokes or spots. Distinctive feature is very a long tail and the absence of a beak.

The habitat of these animals is unusually wide: it can be found in the European part of Russia, in the Caucasus, in Bashkiria, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and even in northwest Africa. They prefer forest, forest-steppe and steppe areas, banks of slow-flowing rivers, wetlands.

These reptiles are found in mountainous regions up to 1500 meters above sea level.

Say what it is aquatic turtle, it is forbidden. She prefers to get out on land quite often and moves relatively quickly on it.

The diet of representatives of this species is unusually wide: it eats worms, molluscs, small reptiles, fish, and chicks. waterfowl. She does not disdain carrion.

Depending on the region, they become sexually mature at the age of 5-9 years. Egg laying is carried out near water bodies. The sex of the offspring depends on the temperature. At high, females are born, low - contribute to the appearance of males.

Unfortunately, the clutches are attacked by predators (foxes, raccoons, otters, crows), who are happy to eat both the eggs themselves and small turtles.

Another name for these reptiles is directly related to their habitat - the Seychelles giant tortoise. This land animal is endemic to the island of Aldabra.

The size of the shell of this large animal reaches a meter. It flaunts distinct segments of the shell, has fairly large legs that help move on land, and a relatively small head.

For its size, the reptile is herbivorous. Everything a turtle eats grows around it. She happily eats all low-growing bushes and grass.

Currently, only 150,000 individuals remain in the wild, so the reptile is protected. On the island where they live, not only hunting is prohibited, but also any economic activity.

Reptiles lay eggs from May to September, and they are able to regulate the population size: if there was not enough food, there will be only 5-6 eggs in their clutches.

It is the largest member of its squad. These reptiles live only on the Galapagos Islands and are not found anywhere else. Their weight sometimes exceeds 400 kg, and the length of the shell reaches 2 m. They have rather muscular paws, on which there are sharp claws (5 on the front and 4 on the back). In case of danger, they retract their head and limbs into the shell.

At the end of the 20th century, the population of these animals was reduced to 3,000 individuals, which became critical, so a decision was made to protect the reptiles.

Currently, there are two varieties of these reptiles, differing in habitat (relatively small individuals live in arid regions), size, color and shape of the shell.

Scientists actively studying the life of the Galapagos endemics have identified Interesting Facts about turtles of this species: for example, what they can eat poisonous plants that are not eaten by any animal. In some cases, they are able to live for several months without food and fresh water.

Mating and egg-laying of these giants occurs at any time of the year, but peaks of activity occur during certain seasons.

This reptile is also called or yellow-bellied. their original names water turtle received solely for bright accents in color: a red spot flaunts on her head, and her abdomen is yellow.

There are 15 subspecies of these reptiles belonging to the American freshwater family.

The size of the animal depends on the subspecies and sex - from 18 to 30 cm, while males are somewhat smaller than females.

The main habitat is America, but its presence is also noted in Europe (Spain and England), in northern Africa, and Australia. They choose swampy areas with low banks for their life, as this river turtle loves to get ashore and bask in the sun.

In Australia, the water turtle is considered a pest, so its numbers are controlled.

The water turtle lays eggs on land, where it pulls out a spherical nest and places up to 20 eggs there. Reptiles of this species do not care about their offspring.

The water turtle feeds on insects, small fish, and worms. She chews her food, completely immersing her head in water. If a water turtle lives in your home, care and feeding should be in accordance with its natural needs.

It has long been found out how many years a turtle lives at home. If the maintenance and care correspond to natural, it may well live for half a century. In nature, this age is somewhat less.

One of the subspecies is the yellow-eared tortoise. As the name implies, its main decoration is bright color shell and yellow spot in the region of the auricle.

The yellow-eared tortoise differs from its red-eared counterparts only in coloring. Their habitat, diet and reproduction are identical.

The yellow-eared turtle perfectly exists at home. Maintenance and care do not require much time and do not cause much trouble to the owners.

Small in size (the maximum length of the shell is not more than 13.5 cm), the reptile has chosen the American continents.

Its dirty-brown shell has three longitudinal ridges, and light stripes are visible on the head.

It lives in small rivers with silty banks, where this river turtle hunts and lays eggs.

When the water temperature drops below 10 degrees, the reptile starts digging a hibernation hole. Unlike many species, musky can sleep in groups. The period of sleep itself does not depend on the season, but on the temperature: in the southern regions, where there are no low temperatures, this reptile is active throughout the year and does not hibernate.

If you have a musk turtle in your house, keeping it alone is undesirable. It is better to have several individuals at once. This will affect how many years the turtle lives at home.

In home aquariums, the Musk Turtle is quite common, keeping, feeding and caring for it does not require much effort.

Where do turtles live? Habitat

Reptiles of this order live on almost all continents of the world. The only exception is Antarctica and desert regions, the climate of which is completely unsuitable for these animals. Any coast - whether it be oceans or small rivers and lakes, can boast of its own view, or even more than one.

Almost everywhere they find their food: it can be insects, worms, small fish, crustaceans and vegetation. Unpretentiousness in food makes the reptile able to survive in almost any place.

Even in reservoirs located in major cities you can meet these animals. They come ashore to bask in the sun. During the breeding season, on deserted beaches, you can come across clutches of their eggs.

A turtle is a reptile that has long settled in homes, becoming a favorite pet. Home care for this reptile is negligible, so many choose them for the home.

How many years a turtle lives at home, first of all, depends on the species, age of the animal that came to you, and the conditions in which it will live. Comfortable, as close as possible to the conditions natural habitat existence and feeding will allow your pet to live long enough. If the turtle in the house feels good, and the maintenance and care are appropriate, then it can live up to 50 years.

Which turtle is best for home?

Usually river reptiles become pets. The river turtle, once at home, quickly adapts. It does not require a very spacious aquarium to keep it, but it is very important to properly equip it, creating a swimming area and land in it, on which your pet will get out if necessary.

• water (red-eared and yellow-eared);
• European (marsh);
• Central Asian (steppe);
• Far Eastern;
• musk turtle.

Keeping sea turtles in home aquariums is very problematic. Even young individuals require special water, reminiscent of the ocean. And for older ones, very spacious tanks are needed, since in limited spaces the animal will not be able to be active enough, and it also depends on this how many years the turtle lives at home.

Before you buy a pet, get to know useful information about him. Temperature regime, nutrition and care, activity and the ability to live alone or in pairs are very important for a reptile.

What does a turtle prefer to eat at home?

If you live domestic turtle, nutrition, maintenance and care for her should resemble her natural image life. Before you take a pet, study what it eats in nature, during what periods it is active.

Young individuals, as a rule, consume 70 percent of live food (forage worms, insects, small crustaceans). Growing up, they switch almost completely to plant foods. Suitable for feeding:

• vegetables and tops from them (tomatoes, peppers, pumpkin, carrots, occasionally cucumbers);
• berries (strawberries, strawberries, watermelon);
• fruits (plums, peaches, apples, bananas).

Do not overfeed the animal! If you see that food remains after feeding, be sure to remove, and subsequently reduce portions.

If you have a turtle at home, caring for it must necessarily include cleaning the aquarium. Be especially careful about food leftovers: stale foods can lead to intestinal upset, which will affect how many years the turtle lives at home.

• Representatives of this order of amphibians can boast that they left their mark on the history of astronautics. Two individuals of the Central Asian tortoise species were the first among animals to circle the Moon and return alive to Earth.
• The meat of these animals is a delicacy. But some species are not recommended for consumption. This happens because this turtle sometimes eats poisonous mushrooms or jellyfish. They do not eat the meat of box, leatherback and hawksbill turtles.
• Reptiles of this order are able to swim well and move on land. But european tortoise can also be called a jumper. She can jump into the water from three-meter mountain ledges.
• Turtles have their long-livers. So in 2006, the most old turtle Advaita, whose age, according to experts, was more than 150 years.
• Many are interested in how long a turtle can live without food. In the natural environment, it is quite difficult to determine this time. But for pets - this is a maximum of 3 weeks, given that the animal is in hibernation. In nature, the sleep period can last several months. It is believed that at this time the reptile does not eat at all.
• sea ​​turtles during the period of courtship and mating, they stick their heads out of the water and make lingering sounds similar to howling.

Elephant, or Galapagos tortoise (lat. Chelonoidis nigra) - the largest representative of the family on our planet Land turtles(lat. Testudinidae). Elephant turtles appeared on Earth around Triassic period 250-200 million years ago. During all this time, the appearance of the reptile has not changed much.

Now 15 subspecies of the elephant tortoise are known, of which 5 subspecies have already become extinct.

Humans and elephant turtles

In 1535, the Spaniards discovered the archipelago in pacific ocean 972 km west of Ecuador. There were so many giant tortoises on its islands that they called it the Galapagos Islands (Spanish: Galpago - "water turtle"). At that time, their population was more than 250,000 individuals.

According to the records of travelers of those years, huge reptiles weighing up to 400 kg and up to 180 cm long were then not at all uncommon.

The Spaniards began to use them first in the form of live canned food, and later to obtain turtle oil, used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes to rejuvenate the skin. In the destruction of elephant turtles, pirates were especially distinguished, who in the 17th-18th centuries had their own numerous bases on the archipelago. In the 19th century, whalers, who killed females who came to lay eggs, caused particular damage to the population.

Feral dogs, pigs and cats have also appeared on the Galapagos Islands, eating small turtles. Donkeys, goats and rats brought to the islands ravaged turtle nests. Herbivores doomed adult reptiles to starvation, sometimes cleanly nibbling at the sparse vegetation.

In 1974, there were only 3,060 elephant tortoises left. In order to preserve the species on Santa Cruz Island, a scientific station, whose employees collect turtle eggs, and later release the grown juveniles into the wild. Thanks to the efforts made, by the end of 2009, their population already numbered 19,317 individuals.

The Galapagos Islands belong to Ecuador. On the uninhabited islands of the archipelago, the government of Ecuador in 1934 banned the capture of elephant tortoises, and in 1959 founded national park. Them artificial breeding started in 1965. From 8 turtles caught, biologists collected the first batch of eggs and, with the help of an incubator, received the first "artificial" turtles.

Behavior

Elephant turtles are diurnal. They like to gather in small groups of 20-30 individuals and bask in sun-dried areas with volcanic soil.

During the dry season, the turtles leave the lowlands and rise to the vegetated highlands. In the rainy season, they descend back into the warm lowlands, which are covered with lush greenery.

Reptiles walk the same paths every day from generation to generation, periodically arranging halts to refresh themselves, rest or swim. During the rest, the turtle periodically raises its head high to look around the surroundings.

During the day, the elephant turtle travels up to 4 km.

With the advent of dusk, reptiles hide in depressions dug in the ground or in thickets. They thrive best in liquid mud or silty waters. The nights on the islands are cold, so the heat in such reservoirs lasts longer.

The favorite delicacy of giants is the juicy pulp of prickly pear. Having found a tasty fruit or an appetizing leaf, the reptile holds it with its paw and bites off piece by piece. First, slices of the fruit are cut off with a sharp beak, and then rubbed with jaws and a fleshy tongue.

In the dry season, when it is very difficult to find moisture, the turtle obtains water by eating cacti. Let her survive the drought large stocks fat, which, when broken down, provides the body with water.

At the slightest danger, the turtle hides in its shell, pulling in its paws, neck and head. The bent front paws cover the head, and the soles of the hind paws cover the gap between the plastron and the carapace.

reproduction

In the mating season, males show extraordinary agility and activity. They constantly scurry around the island in search of a female. If a competitor meets on the road, a fight cannot be avoided.

Rivals first shake their heads menacingly and open their mouths, and then with a loud puff they rush at each other, trying to bite the enemy by the neck or legs. Sometimes a more dexterous male manages to knock down the enemy and turn him over on his back. The defeated fighter sways with all his might, trying to get to his feet.

In a turtle turned on its back, blood circulation is sharply disturbed, and all internal organs reptiles begin to experience oxygen starvation. With a very long stay in this position, she may even die, so she tries to quickly return to her usual position. The defeated competitor runs away from the battlefield, and the proud winner gets the right to procreate.

After fertilization, the male immediately leaves the female. Reproduction can take place all year round, but the seasonal peaks of activity fall in June and February.

Females go to lay eggs in the same places with dry and sandy soil.

Within a few hours, or even days, the female digs the nest with her hind legs. The depth of the nest is about 30-40 cm. The female lays from 2 to 17 round white eggs in it, about 5 cm in diameter and weighing from 80 to 150 g.

In different subspecies, the size of the eggs may vary slightly. One female can dig and fill up to 3 holes with eggs. The reptile digs in the finished masonry and carefully smoothes the surface with its paws. A hard, dry crust soon forms on the surface, but the nest itself maintains the moisture necessary for incubation.

Turtles are born after 2-3 months at the beginning of the rainy season. In case of prolonged drought, incubation can last up to 8 months. Without rain, the turtles simply cannot get out through the hard crust.

Newborns weigh about 50-90 g and are left to themselves from the first hours of their lives. Their body length does not exceed 6 cm. During the day they hide in shelters, and at night they carefully go out to feed on young grass.

Grown up juveniles at 10-15 years of age gradually move to higher elevations richer in food. Sex in elephant tortoises can only be determined at the age of more than 15 years. They become sexually mature at the age of 40. In captivity, puberty occurs much earlier - by 20-25 years.

Description

The body length of adult Galapagos tortoises is about 120 cm and weighs 200-300 kg. Front edge powerful shell is curved. The horny shields of the carapace grow throughout life, becoming thicker every year.

The legs are massive, columnar. Paws are five-toed. All 5 fingers are armed with long strong claws. The head is flat. The muzzle is clearly narrowed in front. The nostrils are located at the tip of the muzzle.

The neck is long and mobile. It is covered with soft, supple leather and can stretch like an accordion. The upper and lower jaws are devoid of teeth and have very sharp curved edges, which are covered with horny plates. The eyes are small and oval, black. The life expectancy of elephant turtles exceeds 100 years.

Long-lived turtle

The longest-lived record holder is Harriet, an elephant tortoise, which he brought with him in 1835. Galapagos Islands Britain Charles Darwin. The turtle was the size of a plate, so it was assumed that she was born in 1830.

In 1841, she came to the Brisbane Botanical Gardens in Australia. Since 1960 she has lived in Australian zoo. On November 15, 2005, the Australians solemnly celebrated her 175th birthday. The "baby" weighed 150 kg.

On June 23, 2006, the centenarian died suddenly after a short illness from heart failure.

intermediate ranks

International scientific name

Chelonoidis elephantopus (Harlan, )

conservation status

Images at Wikimedia Commons

NCBI EOL

The number of turtles has declined from over 250,000 in the 16th century to low level about 3,000 individuals in the 1970s. This decline was caused by the use of turtles for meat and oil, the destruction of their natural habitats for the needs Agriculture, importation and distribution of alien animals on the islands, such as rats, goats and pigs. Ten subspecies of the initial fifteen have survived in the wild, the eleventh subspecies (Geochelone nigra abingdoni) until recently owned only a single known individual, kept in captivity and named Lonely George. He passed away on June 24, 2012. Efforts have been made to save the elephant tortoise species since the early 20th century, resulting in thousands of captive-bred hatchlings being released to their native islands, and it is estimated that total strength elephant tortoises exceeded 19,000 per early XXI century. Despite this, the species as a whole is classified as "Vulnerable".

Description

Turtle body is covered with a large bony carapace (carapace) of light brown color. The carapace plates, connected to the ribs, are a rigid protective structure that is an integral part of the skeleton. Lichens can grow on the shells of these slow animals. Turtles retain a characteristic pattern of laminae (shell segments) throughout their lives, although annual growth rings are useless for age determination because the outer layers wear off over time. The turtle can retract its head, neck, and forelimbs into its shell for protection. The feet are large and squat with dry skin and hard scales. There are five claws on the front paws, four on the back.

Appearance

One of two largest species terrestrial turtles: the length of its carapace can reach 122 cm with a body weight of up to 300 kg.

In different populations of the elephant tortoise, there are significant differences in the size and shape of the carapace. On this basis, they can be divided into two main groups:

1. On small arid islands, turtles are small, with a saddle-shaped shell. Their legs are longer and thinner. Weight of females up to 27 kg, males up to 54 kg.
2. On the large wet islands, the turtles are larger and their shells are tall and domed. The difference in size between males and females is not so pronounced.

on the left - a turtle with a saddle-shaped shell, on the right - with a domed

There is an assumption that the saddle-shaped shell allows turtles to penetrate into dense vegetation and take refuge there.

Food

They feed on Galapagos plants, including shrubs and herbs that are poisonous to other animals.

reproduction

Elephant tortoise mating

Elephant turtles mate at any time of the year, but they have seasonal peaks of sexual activity.

The closest living relative, although not a direct ancestor, of the Galapagos giant tortoises is the Argentine tortoise (Chelonoidis chilensis), much less closely related are species from South America. The differences between Argentine and Galápagos tortoises probably occurred between 6 and 12 million years ago. This was an evolutionary event preceding the formation of the modern Galápagos Islands by volcanic activity from the oldest 5 million years ago. Mitochondrial DNA analysis shows that the oldest of the existing islands (Hispanyola and San Cristobal) were colonized first, and then the populations from them settled on the younger islands. At modern subspecies there is a limitation of gene exchange between isolated islands as a result of the independent evolution of populations in different forms. The evolutionary relationships between subspecies thus repeat the history of the volcanic islands.

Classification

There are several subspecies of the elephant tortoise:

• Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni- † Abingdon elephant tortoise
• Chelonoidis nigra becki - elephant turtle Rothschild
• Chelonoidis nigra chathamensis- Chatham Elephant Tortoise
• Chelonoidis nigra darwini- Darwin's Elephant Turtle
• Chelonoidis nigra duncanensis (ephippium)- † Duncan Island Turtle
• Chelonoidis nigra guentheri- Gunther's Elephant Turtle
• Chelonoidis nigra hoodensis- Hispaniola elephant tortoise
• Chelonoidis nigra microphyes- Isabel Elephant Tortoise
• Chelonoidis nigra galapagoensis(nigra)- † Charles Island turtle
• Chelonoidis nigra porteri (nigrita)- Santacruz elephant tortoise
• Chelonoidis nigra vandenburghi- Vandenburg elephant tortoise
• Chelonoidis nigra vicina- Cave Elephant Turtle

Subspecies whose existence has not been confirmed:

• Chelonoidis nigra phantastica- † Ferdinand Island Turtle
• Chelonoidis nigra wallacei- Jervis Elephant Tortoise

Elephant turtle and man

Extermination by people

After the discovery of the Galapagos by Europeans, elephant turtles began to be used by sailors as "live canned food" - they were placed alive in holds, where they could stay for several months without water and food. Judging by the records of ship logs, only 79 whaling ships took 10,373 turtles from the archipelago in 36 years in the middle of the 19th century. It is believed that in total, about 200,000 elephant tortoises were destroyed before the 20th century, and on the islands of Charles and Barington they disappeared completely, while on others they almost died out.

Influence of Introduced Species

Notes

Literature

• Darevsky I. S., Orlov N. L. Rare and endangered animals. Amphibians and reptiles / ed. V. E. Sokolova. - M .: Higher. school, 1988. - S. 143. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN 5-06-001429-0
• Biological Encyclopedic Dictionary / Ch. ed. M. S. Gilyarov; Editorial staff: A. A. Baev, G. G. Vinberg, G. A. Zavarzin and others - M .: Sov. encyclopedia, 1986. - S. 586. - 100,000 copies.

Categories:

• Vulnerable species
• Animals alphabetically
• Animals described in 1827
• Endemic to the Galapagos Islands
• Land turtles

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Synonyms:

See what the "Elephant Turtle" is in other dictionaries:

- (Geochelone elephantopus) a species of reptiles of the genus of terrestrial turtles (see GROUND TURTLES), is included in the group of giant tortoises (see GIANT TURTLES). Carapace length up to 1.5 m; height 60 cm; weight 100 400 kg. Males are larger than females and differ in ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Exist., number of synonyms: 2 reptile (63) turtle (18) ASIS synonym dictionary. V.N. Trishin. 2013 ... Synonym dictionary

Elephant tortoise, loot, gopher, turtle, hydromedusa, cynic, pelomedusa, cinosterna, urinal, reptile, carriage, hawksbill Dictionary of Russian synonyms. turtle n., number of synonyms: 18 byss (2) ... Synonym dictionary

(chelonoidis nigra abingdoni)

Systematic position

Kingdom: Animals (Animalia).
Type of: Chordates (Chordata).
Class: Reptiles (Reptilia).
Squad: Turtles (Testudines).
Family: Turtles (Testudinidae).
Genus: American tortoises (Chelonoidis).
View: Elephant turtle (Chelonoidis nigra).
Subspecies: Abingdon elephant turtle (Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni).

Why is it listed in the Red Book

In the 19th century elephant turtles were found on the island of Pinta. main reason The disappearance of the subspecies of turtles was the fact that almost all vegetation on the island was exterminated by feral goats. As a result, the turtles had no food resources left. Clumsy and slow reptiles were easy prey for poachers by the early 1970s. 20th century only one representative of the subspecies managed to survive.

The last representative of a rare taxon was called Lonesome George. Lonely George was found on Pinta Island (Abingdon). December 1, 1972 and taken under surveillance. The last years of his life he lived in the Galapagos national park Ecuador, at the station. Charles Darwin on Santa Cruz Island. Here he was looked after and hoped to get viable offspring from him. Scientists until the last hoped to restore the subspecies and return it to natural environment a habitat.

Where does it live

The Abingdon elephant tortoise is an endemic subspecies that lived exclusively on the uninhabited island of Pinta in the Galapagos archipelago.

How to find out

Abingdon elephant tortoises 100% justified the species name given to them - "elephant". These were real giants, sometimes reaching a body weight of 300-350 kg. Their large, ossified carapace was dyed a deep grey-brown. In all turtles, including elephants, the ribs and spine are inseparably fused with the carapace.

Such a system creates powerful protection for the body. Therefore, the myth that the turtle can leave its "house" has no scientific evidence. The body of turtles was covered with dryish wrinkled skin. The elephant tortoises had Long neck and a relatively small head. Males were almost twice as large as females.

Lifestyle and biology

Being cold-blooded animals, turtles crawled out in the morning to bask in the sun. Then the turtles spent most of their time looking for food. moving with average speed 0.3 km / h, they systematically surveyed the area native island, hoping to find fresh, juicy grass to support vitality.

It is interesting External differences between individuals of elephant tortoises living in different environmental conditions, noted Charles Darwin during a round-the-world trip on the Beagle. The size and shape of the shell of representatives different populations elephant turtles are very different. This made Charles Darwin seriously think about the influence of the environment on the body.

Elephant turtles were distinguished by almost undeveloped hearing, but excellent sense of smell and good eyesight. During mating season males arranged ritual fights, trying to determine the most important and strong.

For oviposition, females went to dry, well-warmed sandy beaches. Sometimes it took them several days to dig a hole about 30 cm deep. Using their hind legs, the female Abingdon elephant tortoise patiently performed complex and serious work. The sex of the embryos in these reptiles depends on the temperature of the environment. With more low temperatures more males are born, with higher ones - females.

Incubation could last from four to eight months. After birth, babies faced many dangers. First of all, they needed to get to the surface and not become a victim birds of prey. Sexual maturity occurred at the age of about 20–25 years.