Galapagos tortoises take life slow and steady

I think it’s safe to say most people are aware of turtles and tortoises. But at the same time, there’s a lot of confusion surrounding these cool critters. Even those familiar with these reptiles sometimes have questions about the differences between turtles and tortoises.

Recently, while leading a photo tour to the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, I had a chance to show my group the difference between turtles and tortoises. The Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis niger) is a huge reptile species that is one of three species native to South America. The Galapagos tortoise is the largest living species of all tortoises.

We spent eight days living on a large ship that sailed between many of the Galapagos Islands. One day we went ashore on Santa Cruz Island in hopes of finding and photographing the giant tortoises. On our way to the Charles Darwin Research Station, we stopped at a lovely place that specialized in maintaining the native habitat just for the tortoises.

Driving down a red dirt road, we came across our first tortoise. It was slowly walking down the road. It was so large that it took up most of the road and we were unable to pass in our vehicle. We all got out and approached the tortoise. Nothing prepares you for the sheer size of these animals.

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Males tend to be larger than females. A large, mature male can weigh upwards of 800 pounds and measure six feet long. They stand around three feet tall. On average, males are around 400 to 600 pounds, while females run around 300 to 500 pounds. What is even more impressive is that they obtain this size with an herbivorous diet consisting of cacti, grass, green leaves, lichens, and fruits of many tropical trees such as oranges.

Their huge size allows them to build up both fat (food) and water to last them six or seven months without eating or drinking. It is thought that these reserves are what allowed them to move from the mainland of South America to these remote islands, which are over 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador. 

The primary differences between tortoises and turtles are in their habitat and some basic physical parts. Tortoises are primarily land-dwelling animals. They have large, thick legs and stumpy feet, which are perfect for walking on land. Turtles are aquatic and have feet that are thin and flipper-like to help propel them through the water. Tortoises tend to live much longer than turtles. Tortoises also have high, domed shells, while turtles have flatter, more hydrodynamic-shaped shells.

The Galapagos tortoises often live over 100 years, making them one of the longest-living vertebrates on the planet. In captivity, they have lived for over 175 years. The Galapagos Islands are near the equator, which means they don’t have winter in the traditional sense. They have a wet season and a dry season. This allows the tortoises to be active all year long. Plants on the islands stay green all year, providing them with constant food sources. Their mouth is more like a bird’s beak, with sharp edges that allow them to eat the flesh of cacti without any issues.

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Altogether, we found and photographed over a dozen mature Galapagos tortoises, which was a thrill of a lifetime for me. Seeing and getting a chance to capture some images of these creatures was something I won’t forget for a long time.

Until next time …

Editor’s note: Stan Tekiela’s NatureSmart column appears twice a month in the Eden Prairie Local News. Tekiela is an author, naturalist and wildlife photographer who travels extensively across the United States to study and capture wildlife images. 

You can follow his work on Instagram and Facebook. He can be contacted via his website at www.naturesmart.com.