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Reptile. The giant dome-shaped tortoise has the longest lifespan of all vertebrates. Their sleeping, feeding, and nesting behaviors are very habitual. The tortoise goes to his sleeping shelter in a particular sequence, occasionally shifting within his area but never changing to a different place. The female tortoise returns year after year to the very same place to lay her eggs. Giant tortoises can survive for long periods with little food or water. Since their huge shells prevent tortoises from expanding their chests, a special set of muscles helps them breathe. The oldest giant tortoise on record lived 152 years. |
| Scientific
Name |
Lifespan |
| Geochelone elephantopus |
100 to 150 years |
| Diet |
| Herbivore. Grasses, leaves of shrubs and cacti, bromeliads, and water ferns. |
| Predators and Threats |
| Wild dogs, cats, rats, and pigs attack the eggs and young. Predators of adults are humans. |
| Habitat |
| Dense vegetation, wet highlands; mainly present on the islands of Isabella, Santiago and San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands. |
