Galapagos giant tortoise

Did you know?
that giant tortoises, who can survive without eating for months, were once captured by sailors as a source of fresh meat at sea and to be used as living ballast in the hulls of their sailing ships.

Photo Copyright by
Mathew Field

Why do zoos keep this animal

The Galápagos giant tortoise is rated vulnerable by IUCN and mainitaining an ex situ

reserve population has some merits.

The main purpose for displaying the species in zoos is, however, educational: It is one of the largest and heaviest chelonian species and it allows also for informing about speciation on the Galápagos Islands as was first discovered by Charles Darwin. There are eleven subspecies of giant tortoises on the Galápagos. Famous is, in particular, the subspecies Geochelone nigra abingdonii, as only one specimen is known to be alive: "Lonesome George" , a male, discovered in 1971 by goat hunters and then transferred to the Charles Darwin Research Station, where he was penned with two females of the subspecies, Geochelone nigra becki from Isabela Island, in the hope that he would breed and his genes would be retained in the resulting offspring. Unfortunately, these attempts have not been successful to date.

The species is also an excelelnt ambassador for the generally threatened fauna of the Galápagos Archipelago.

How this animal should be kept

In moderate and cold climatic zones, Galapagos giant tortoises need an indoor and an outdoor enclosure. For up to two subadult or adult animals at least 20 m² are required outdoors, and 10 m² indoors, for each additional animal 10 m² more outdoors, and 5 m² indoors.

Indoors the floor must be heated ensurin,g a surface temperature of 22-26ºC. Air temperature should be 22-28 ºC, locally (radiators) up to 35ºC. Lamps should provide daylight-spectrum illumination. Daily irradiation with UV lights for two hours Humidity should range from 60-80%. The feeding site should be paved, otherwise the floor may be sand-covered (about 20 cm deep), and there should be a pool, at least 30 cm deep, with a water temperature of 25 ºC.

The outdoor enclosure should be well exposed to the sun. Ideally it should be large enough to allow for a grass cover, and there should be some shrubs and trees providing locally shadow. If there is no direct connection to the indoor enclosure, a shelter must be provided. The tortoises should not be kept outdoors at temperatures below 18 ºC.

The diet should be rich in crude fiber and consists of plant material, including vegetables, fruit, foliage and grass or hay.