Galapagos Tortoises
Lonesome George, the last of his kind, passed away in June 2012The Galapagos Tortoise is the largest living species of tortoise in the world. With its life span being over 100 years, it is one of the longest living vertebrates. When Charles Darwin arrived at the Galapagos Islands, there had been 15 different species of tortoises, which is now down to 11. Through the centuries, these tortoises have been hunted for food by whalers, pirates, and merchantmen, and are therefore endangered.
Like the other animals of the Galapagos Islands, the Galapagos Tortoises have evolved according to their environment. On islands where food is low to the ground, the tortoises developed a dome-like shell and short necks, as everything they needed was below them. On other islands, where vegetation was higher, the tortoises developed saddle-shaped shells and long necks, which allowed them to reach up and get their food from higher places.