Chester Zoo 

Galapagos Tortoise

The largest living tortoises, they love to bathe in muddy pools and enjoy wallowing in water, being active most of the day, spending most of their time feeding and at night sleeping in warm depressions in the ground. When threatened they withdraw their head, neck and forelimbs into their shell.

There are tortoises on several of the Galapagos Islands and although currently classified as one species, there have been 14 races recorded and scientists are still doing DNA tests to see how closely related they all are.
Their carapaces – or shells – vary in shape and, of course, size, from domes to saddle shapes, with saddle back varieties appearing to have longer necks and legs.

What they eat

Vegetation – grasses, flowers, cactus fruits.
They can survive for long periods without drinking by breaking down their body fat to produce water.

How long they live

The longest ever recorded lifespan is 152 years.

Biology

Giant tortoises only reach sexual maturity at the age of 40, usually breeding at the end of the hot season. When two males meet at mating time, they will each rise up on their legs and stretch their necks in a bid to prove who is the most dominant. The one with the shorter neck will usually back down, leaving the other to mate with any contested for female. Pregnant females will travel several miles searching for suitable sandy, dry ground to lay anything from two to 16 eggs the size of tennis balls. They make a nest hole out of soil mixed with urine and then leave the eggs in it to incubate in the heat from the sun. Eggs usually take about 130 days to hatch.

Did you know?

Sailors used to collect Galapagos Tortoises from the islands to take on long sea journeys. They provided a fresh source of meat months after leaving port, as they were able to survive long periods without food or water, whilst stored in the hold.