|
Galapagos Islands wildlife
Reptiles
There are 27 species of reptiles found on the Galapagos
divided in five families as follows: snakes, geckos,
Iguanas,
lava lizards and,
the giant tortoises.
Giant Tortoise
 There
are 11 surviving subspecies of the
Giant Tortoise,
all distinguished by the differences of their shell. They can weigh up
to 250 kg and are guessed to have a life span of about 150 years.
The best place to view them is at the Charles Darwin
Research Center where hatchlings as well as older tortoises are kept as
part of a breeding project.
Pacific Green Turtle
 This
marine turtle
normally weighs 100-200 pounds and is often seen during its mating season in
the later part of the year in secluded lagoons, particularly in Black Turtle
Cove.
The turtles apparently have incredible navigational skills, because
there is growing evidence that the female returns to the same beach she was
hatched on to lay her own eggs.
Marine Iguana
 Marine
iguanas are seen in numerous amounts, especially on lava rock shores.
They are strong divers, sometimes descending to depths of 35 ft.
Normally they have a black skin, but in the breeding
season, which varies from island to island, the males turn bright green and
red.
Land Iguana
 There
are two endemic species of
land iguana on the Galapagos, both of which are yellow and live in the
arid zones of the central and western islands. Their diet consists mainly of
prickly pear cacti, which also supplies them with water. The number of land
iguanas has drastically declined over the past years and they are now an
endangered species.
Lava Lizards
 There
are seven endemic species of
lava lizards on
the islands, with colors that range from grey, black, red and orange.
The females are usually brown with a brilliant slash of
scarlet on the face and throat. They live on all the islands and are
commonly seen doing their territorial “push-ups” which vary from island to
island.
|
