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Hood Island giant tortoise facts for kids

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Hood Island giant tortoise
Hoodensis.jpg
Conservation status
CITES Appendix I (CITES)
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Family: Testudinidae
Genus: Chelonoidis
Species:
Subspecies:
C. n. hoodensis
Trinomial name
Chelonoidis niger hoodensis
(Van Denburgh, 1907)
Synonyms
  • Testudo hoodensis Van Denburgh, 1907
  • Geochelone nigra hoodensis (Van Denburgh, 1907)

The Hood Island giant tortoise (Chelonoidis niger hoodensis) is a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise endemic to Española Island in the Galápagos.

Population history

This population was very heavily exploited by whalers in the 19th century and collapsed around 1850. 13 adults were found in the early 1970s and held at the Charles Darwin Research Station as a breeding colony. The two males and 11 females were initially brought to the Darwin Station. Fortuitously, a third male (Diego) was discovered at the San Diego Zoo and joined the others in a captive breeding program. Mating had not occurred naturally for some time, because the individuals were so scattered that they did not meet. Following the successful captive breeding program, large numbers have been released back into the wild and are now breeding on their own with the population reaching over 2,300 individuals as of August, 2020.

Description

It is one of the smallest subspecies of Galápagos tortoise. Its black, saddle-backed carapace has a deep cervical indentation, the anterior rim only weakly upturned, and posterior marginals downturned and slightly serrated. It is narrow anteriorly and wider posteriorly.

Etymology

Its subspecies name, composed of hood and the Latin suffix -ensis: "who lives in", was given in reference to the place of its discovery, Española Island, which is also called Hood Island.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Tortuga gigante de la Española para niños

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