Interesting fact: Found only on the Galapagos Islands, has the unique ability to live and forage in the sea.Where is it found: Can be found on most islands in the archipelago, at the shoreline.June is a great time to see cute baby marine iguanas! In January and February, females dig a nest and lay the eggs, which begin to hatch in late May. Males can often be seen in December "fighting" one another by butting heads: this is to establish dominance. On Punta Suarez ( Española) lives a variety of the marine iguana with green and red coloring: it is sometimes called the "Christmas Iguana." The mating season for marine iguanas begins at a different time on different islands, but generally around November-December. They are common throughout the islands and a favorite among visitors.Ī most remarkable animal, the marine iguana can be seen year-round at many Galapagos visitor sites. These dark colored iguanas feed underwater, gnawing algae off of rocks that are sometimes as deep as 15 meters (50 feet)! Its body temperature can drop several degrees while feeding, so they are commonly seen soaking up sunshine on lava rocks, bringing their temperature back to a normal level. The Galapagos Marine Iguana is truly one of the most striking animals in the Islands. Interesting fact: The largest living species of tortoise, reaching weights of over 400kg and lengths of 1.8mt.Where is it found: In the wild at Isabela, Pinzon, La Pinta, Santiago, Santa Cruz, San Cristobal and Española.
There are usually some there year-round, but the best time to see them is from June to December, when most of them have come up from the lowlands. It's also possible to see the Giant Tortoises in their native habitat, the island highlands (generally on Santa Cruz). On Santa Cruz in Puerto Ayora you'll find them at the Charles Darwin Research Station, which is home to the most famous of all Galapagos Island Tortoises: Lonesome George, the last surviving individual of the Pinta Island subspecies. The best places to see them are at any one of the three breeding stations: there is one each on San Cristobal, Santa Cruz and Isabela Islands. There are now more of them living now in the wild since before passing ships started capturing them hundreds of years ago. The Floreana subspecies, for example, was still abundant when Charles Darwin visited in 1835, but by 1846 it was extinct.Īlthough pirates and sailors hunted these astounding creatures, negatively impacting their populations, recent conservation efforts for the remaining Galapagos Giant Tortoise subspecies have been very successful. The Galapagos Giant Tortoise is perhaps the most famous of all Galapagos species, the animal that most visitors want to see! These gentle giants were once abundant on several islands, but early whaling ships and pirates often carried them off because they can survive for a long time at sea without food or water, providing fresh meat for sailors who have been away from land for a while. They are perfectly adapted to the cool highlands where there is plenty of lush vegetation and lots of mud for them to wallow in. The Galapagos Tortoise found that with such a ready supply of food and no predators, they could grow, and they evolved into the massive, lumbering creatures visitors see on the Islands today. There are no large land mammals native to the Galapagos: herbivores such as goats were introduced later. Here are some of the more extraordinary endemic Galapagos reptiles. The Galapagos reptiles evolved in remarkable ways, and most reptiles found in the islands are now considered endemic, meaning they are not found anywhere else in the world.
Over the millennia, these reptiles have changed so much that they no longer resemble their ancestors who arrived to the islands so long ago. Once they arrived to Galapagos, reptiles soon began to thrive and adapt themselves to the available ecological niches. Mammals need more water and were much less likely to survive the journey to the Galapagos Islands, whereas reptiles had the endurance for the trip. Reptiles historically had an advantage over mammals when it came to arriving to the islands: it is thought that most land animals that arrived by chance into the Galapagos came clinging to clumps of vegetation or wood set adrift from the mainland. The Galapagos Islands are a paradise for reptiles: the conditions are perfect for iguanas, lizards and tortoises.
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