The Galapagos Tortoise
by Mr. Fuchs
Sources:
animals.nationalgeographic.com
www.arkive.org
What Does a Galapagos Tortoise Look Like?
•Galapagos Tortoises are mostly brown in color.
•They range in size from 29 inches and 60 pounds, to 4 feet and 700 pounds.
•Babies weigh only 3 ounces.
•Their shells look like most turtle shells - and are mostly brown.
•Their body covering is scales
•Their feet are kind of stumpy, and they have claws.
•Their almost look like they have a beak.
Where Do These Giant Tortoises Live?
9,000 to 10,000 live on the Galapagos archipelago - a chain of islands near the equator.
They live in open grassy areas on those islands.
The Galapagos Tortoise’s Diet
They are an herbivore - they eat plants.
They especially like grasses, vines, cactus fruit, and other vegetation.
They also eat fruit of the manzanello tree and the prickly pear.
The Galapagos Tortoise’s Protection
They protect themselves by hiding in their shell.
Their only natural predator is the Galapagos hawk. They prey on eggs and newly hatched tortoises.
Interesting Facts About Giant Galapagos Tortoises
- They can live for more than 150 years.
- The Galapagos Islands are named after the tortoises - Galapagos is Spanish for tortoise.
- They move at only .16 mph - humans walk at about 3 mph.
- When a fight breaks out between two male tortoises, they face each other and stretch their heads out and up as far as they can. The taller one wins!
- The tortoise will extend its neck to allow finch to pick off ticks.
- They sleep for 16 hours each day!
