Lily+Marroquin+-+Galapagos+Tortoise

=Common Name=



=Natural Habitat and Location=

The Galapagos Tortoise, also known as the Geochelone elephantopus by scientists, is found in the Galapagos Islands, 600 miles west of Ecuador. They live in lava soil areas in lowlands found in the Galapagos Islands.

=Niche=

The Galapagos Tortoise is a herbivore and eat only grass, leaves, and cacti. They can weigh up to 250 kg or 550 lbs, and can be as big as 4 feet long. The Galapagos Tortoise seem to be able to produce from the age of 60-90 years of age. The Galapagos Tortoise sometimes has its seasonal peaks, mainly between January to August, but their mating can occur any time during the year. Females usually travel far to find nesting areas that are dry and sandy, mainly by the coast. There they lay two to sixteen eggs, in a hole that they dig about 30 cm deep, the eggs are the size of tennis balls! The femal than creates plug for the hole out of soil, urine, and leaves. After, the eggs hatch about 120 - 140 days later, the temperature plays an important role while they hatch. If the nesting hole is low in temperature, more males hatch, but if it is high more females hatch. Once the eggs hatch, the small tortoise's must dig their way up to the surface, which might take up to a month; their only big predator is the hawk.

=Why is this animal Endangered?= The Galapagos Tortoise is endangered because of, one, hawks eat the baby tortoise' once they are born, and dig their way up to the surface from the hole their mother's have dug them in. Two, when man started to arrive on the Galapagos Islands they began to hunt the Galapagos Tortoise as a source of food (meat) for them. Three, the man that came to the Galapagos Islands also brought pigs, goats, horses, and cows to the islands, these animals began to eat the vegetation on the islands which than left the tortoise' without their food. leading them to die.

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