Giant tortoise believed extinct for 100 years found in Galapagos – via Herp Digest

2/20/19 Gulf Times

A giant tortoise believed extinct for over 100 years has been discovered on the Galapagos island of Fernandina, Ecuador's environment minister said late on Tuesday.

An adult female specimen of the Chelonoidis Phantasticus species was found by an expedition led by the Galapagos Parks authority and the Galapagos Conservancy group, Marcelo Mata wrote in a tweet reposted by the two organizations.

The minister said that the animal had been believed extinct for over 100 years, but did not provide any further details.

According to Galapagos Conservancy, the only known specimen of Chelonoidis Phantasticus, commonly known as Fernandina Island tortoise, ‘was collected during the California Academy of Sciences expedition in April 1906.’  ‘While thought to be extinct due to volcanic eruptions in past centuries, there have been anecdotal observations indicating that there may indeed still be a very few left on the island,’ the group wrote on its website.

An assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) published in 2017 listed the species as ‘Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct).’  Surveys of remote areas on Fernandina Island in 1964 ‘documented several large tortoise scats’ and some tortoise bite marks, while a 2009 airplane survey ‘yielded a possible unconfirmed sighting of a tortoise,’ IUCN said. Scats and footprints were also found in 2013.

‘These sightings and signs, though needing verification through more extensive surveys, indicate the possibility that the species may remain extant in exceedingly small numbers,’ IUCN said.

Including the Chelonoidis Phantasticus, there are 12 species of Galapagos tortoise, one for each of the major islands of the Galapagos archipelago, which was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.

Study Rules Out Hybridization of Yellow and Pink Iguanas on Wolf Volcano - via Herp Digest

October 15, 2018, Galapagos Conservancy

A recent study ruled out hybridization between the yellow land iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus) and pink land iguanas (C. marthae) that cohabit at the top of the Wolf volcano — revealing that there is no genetic contamination among these two populations.

These results are part of research carried out since 2009 between the Galapagos National Park Directorate  (GNPD) and the Tor Vergara University in Italy on the pink iguanas, which were identified as a new species that year, and on which progress is being made in the knowledge of its biology and ecology.

“This discovery will facilitate the start of a new captive breeding program, since all the individuals selected will be representative of the genetic variability of the species,” said Gabriele Gentile, research associate and project leader.

The same study revealed that on the South Plaza Island there is occasional hybridization between marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) and yellow land iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus), forming infertile first generation individuals. This hybridization is not a cause for concern, since it does not generate movement of genes from one species to another.

“Scientific knowledge is fundamental for the development of management programs and conservation of species, because it allows decisions to be made with the least uncertainty — especially when dealing with fragile ecosystems like those of the Galapagos,” commented Jorge Carrión, director of the GNPD and part of the scientific research team.

Content translated from the Galapagos National Park Directorate, with their permission.

Extinct species of Galapagos giant tortoise may be resurrected

1 June 2017

Room for more giants

By Sam Wong

Conservationists believe they can bring back a species of giant tortoise unique to Floreana Island in the Galapagos and considered extinct since the mid-19th century.

Galapagos giant tortoises are sometimes divided into 15 species, 11 of which survive today. The tortoise populations on all the islands were decimated after humans arrived in the archipelago and began loading them onto ships for their meat. They also brought animals such as rats, which can prey on young tortoises, and goats, which destroy their habitat.

Tortoises were eliminated from Floreana Island shortly after Charles Darwin’s visit in 1835. Another species, the Pinta Island tortoise, lost its last remaining member, named Lonesome George, in 2012.
 
But these species may not be gone forever. Both Floreana and Pinta tortoises have a saddle-shaped shell, allowing them to raise their necks to reach higher vegetation. In 2008, researchers discovered a few similar saddle-shelled tortoises living around Wolf volcano on Isabela Island, differing from the dome-shaped shell of most of the island’s tortoises. DNA collected from the saddle-shelled animals suggested they were descended from Floreana and Pinta Island tortoises.

It is thought that tortoises were moved between the islands on ships. Even though some mated with local tortoises and produced hybrids, the retention of a saddle shell by the tortoises around Wolf volcano raised the possibility of restoring the Floreana and Pinta species through captive breeding.

In 2015, scientists returned to Wolf volcano to look for more tortoises with Floreana and Pinta ancestry. They carried out blood tests on 144 individuals, then lifted 32 promising candidates onto a ship by helicopter and took them to a captive breeding centre on Santa Cruz Island.

Continued

Expedition explores remote Galapagos home of rare tortoises

Date: November 20, 2015

Source: SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Scientists have launched an expedition to a remote volcano in the Galapagos Islands to search out rare giant tortoises, some of which were found to carry the genes of two species thought, until recently, to be extinct.

Dr. James P. Gibbs, a conservation biologist at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in Syracuse, New York, who is part of the team, said the expedition is focused on rescuing some of the tortoises so they can be bred in captivity, paving the way for the re-establishment of two species that were believed to have vanished from the archipelago. The team departed Nov. 18 for a trip to Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island.

"Our team from the Galapagos National Park Service, Yale University, and the Galapagos Conservancy discovered a small trove of extremely unusual tortoises on the remote Wolf Volcano on the northern end of Isabela Island," said Gibbs, shortly before he left Syracuse for the Galapagos. "There are actually thousands of tortoises native to the volcano there -- we don't know how many -- and amongst them are some rather special ones."

Gibbs credited his colleagues at Yale University with the genetic analysis that revealed in 2012 that some of the tortoises at Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island are descendants of the species of tortoises that are extinct on their native islands of Pinta and Floreana. The last known living Pinta tortoise was the famous Lonesome George. Floreana tortoises have not been seen for more than 100 years - Charles Darwin was one of the last to remark on them. Researchers launched a high-profile search for a mate for the iconic tortoise, but the effort was unsuccessful and Lonesome George died in 2012. Gibbs, who has worked with Galapagos tortoises since 1994, escorted George's body back to the United States to be taxidermied where it remains as preparations are made in Galapagos to build an exhibit hall for the tortoise.

Continued …

New Species of Giant Tortoise Found in the Galápagos

by Laura Geggel, Staff Writer | October 21, 2015 02:00pm ET

Paging Charles Darwin: The island of Santa Cruz within the Galápagos has not one but two distinct species of giant tortoise, a new genetic study finds.

For years, researchers thought that the giant tortoises living on the western and eastern sides of Santa Cruz belonged to the same species. But the tortoises look slightly different, and so recently, scientists ran genetic tests on about 100 tortoises from both groups.

The tests were definitive: The two tortoise populations, which live only about 6 miles (10 kilometers) apart on the opposite sides of the island, are actually extremely distant relatives.

read on ...

Invasive parasitic fly on Galapagos Islands probably came from mainland Ecuador

Date:

April 17, 2015

Source:

Entomological Society of America

Summary:

An invasive parasitic fly that harms Darwin's finches and other land birds on the Galapagos Islands, has been found for the the first time in mainland Ecuador, supporting the hypothesis that it was introduced from there.

Continued ...

Galapagos tortoises thrive on invasive plant species

April 7, 2015

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com – @ParkstBrett

When we think of Asian carp invading the Mississippi River or pythons taking over parts of the Everglades, we think of how invasive species can decimate an ecosystem. However, invasive species can sometimes have a positive impact.

That’s what an international team of researchers found recently on the Galapagos Islands, where tortoises are thriving on non-native plants.

According to a new report in the journal Biophilia, the Galapagos tortoises actually prefer invasive plants to native foliage and in turn, the invasive plants are a good source of nutrition for the reptiles.

“Biodiversity conservation is a huge problem confronting managers on the Galapagos Islands,” said study author Stephen Blake, an honorary research scientist at Washington University in St. Louis. “Eradicating the more than 750 species of invasive plants is all but impossible, and even control is difficult. Fortunately, tortoise conservation seems to be compatible with the presence of some introduced species.”

Pretty odd

The team conducted their study on the island of Santa Cruz, a dormant volcano that is home to two species of giant tortoise, as well as the biggest human population in the Galapagos. Farmers have modified most of the highland moist zones to farming and at least 86 percent of the highlands and other moist zones are now deteriorated by either farming or invasive species.

Past research by some of the same scientists showed that tortoises migrate seasonally between the arid lowlands, which flourish with vegetation only in the wet season, to the lush meadows of the highlands, which remain productive year-round.

Read more at

Galapagos emergency over stranded ship

5 February 2015 Last updated at 14:36

Ecuador has announced a state of emergency in the Galapagos Islands, a week after a cargo ship with hazardous materials ran aground there.

The Floreana - which ferries food and other supplies to the Unesco world heritage site - was also carrying 45,000 litres (10,000 gallons) of fuel.

Booms have been used to contain a fuel spill in the pristine waters.

The islands - famous for their unique flora and fauna - lie some 1,000km (600 miles) off Ecuador's Pacific coast.

The emergency "will allow authorities to have immediate [financial] means to deal with the situation", a Galapagos National Park spokesman told the AFP news agency.

The ship's hull was reportedly destroyed in the incident on 28 January.

Rescue teams are now trying to refloat and remove the vessel.

This is not the first such incident. Last year, another cargo ship ran aground.

And in 2001, an oil spill devastated marine iguana populations

Source

Green turtle links Costa Rica's Cocos Island with Ecuador's Galapagos - via Herp Digest

Lindsay Fendt, 6/23/14, Tico Times

One normal migration for turtles, one giant discovery for humankind.

With his 14-day journey from the waters of Costa Rica’s Cocos Island National Park to the Galapagos Marine Reserve in Ecuador, “Sanjay,” an endangered green sea turtle, established the first direct migration link between the two protected areas.

Sanjay was one of three green sea turtles tagged by scientists from the marine conservation groups Turtle Island Restoration Network and PRETOMA during a 10-day research expedition. Using a $4,000 satellite tag, biologists from the organizations were able to map Sanjay’s exact migration.

“It’s truly remarkable. Sanjay knew where he was headed, and made a beeline from one marine protected area to the next,” said Alex Hearn, conservation science director for Turtle Island Restoration Network. “These protected areas of ocean are hot spots for endangered green sea turtles, but we also need to think about their migratory corridors between protected areas.”

Though the two organizations have tagged hundreds of sea turtles over the years, Sanjay is the first to show movement between the two protected areas. Sanjay’s migration is the latest piece of evidence linking the green turtles of the Galapagos and Cocos Island, a link that biologists have long suspected due to the populations’ genetic similarities.

The project’s researchers hope that the new evidence will help encourage the development of conservation programs between protected areas.

“These species are protected while they are in the reserves, but as soon as they swim beyond the no-fishing zone, they are being hammered by industrial fishing vessels that set millions of hooks in the region,” said Todd Steiner, executive director of Turtle Island Restoration Network. “Our goal is to collect the necessary scientific data to understand the migratory routes and advocate for ‘protected swimways’ to protect these endangered species though out their migration.”

NOW PLAYING! First Galapagos Webcams Feature Giant Tortoises – via Herp Digest

12/5/2013- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, DC, December 5, 2013 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- Galapagos Giant Tortoises are now giving pandas some competition in the online world of animal webcams! Galapagos Conservancy is thrilled to offer the first "window" into the daily lives of giant tortoises at the Fausto Llerena Tortoise Center at the Galapagos National Park. The featured tortoises, ranging from large lumbering adults to small hatchlings, can be viewed by fans from anywhere in the world through streaming webcam footage and a clip archive on Galapagos Conservancy’s website: http://www.galapagos.org/gallery/tortoise-cam/.

Galapagos Conservancy led the installation of a series of four web cameras in tortoise pens at the Fausto Llerena Tortoise Center. The original idea for the "tortoise cams" came from one of Galapagos Conservancy’s loyal and enthusiastic donors, Dr. James Gallagher of New Jersey, who was captivated by other nature cams and approached Galapagos Conservancy with an offer to fund the launch of the project.

The Galapagos National Park and a team of international tortoise and technical experts, including Sean Burnett of Wildlife Intel and Dr. James Gibbs of SUNY-ESF, also lent their expertise to the project.

The launch of the tortoise cams coincides with the initial stages of an ambitious ten-year effort to restore giant tortoise populations across the Galapagos Islands. 

Three cameras stream footage from pens of lively juvenile tortoises ranging from new hatchlings to two-year-olds. Once they are 4-5 years old - when their shells are strong enough to shield them from predators - they will be repatriated to their island of origin. 

The fourth camera focuses on a group of large male tortoises who were returned to the Galapagos National Park in the 1960s by private owners who had had them as pets. They are expected to live out their lives at the Tortoise Center unless their native populations are threatened and they are needed for conservation management.

The streamed footage is selected based on automated detection of activity levels in the tortoise pens. Due to the inconsistent and unreliable internet connectivity to Galapagos, the footage is not able to stream "live," but it is, instead, a curated compilation of the best footage from all 4 cameras from the previous day. 

Gallagher joked, "Watching tortoises may be like watching grass grow, but it's an-honest-to-god part of nature, and probably good for meditation."

Web cameras have become an important tool to promote conservation awareness by engaging people around the world in species protection efforts. The "tortoise cams" mark the first successful streaming webcam footage related to conservation efforts in the Galapagos Islands. 

"People around the world can now catch a glimpse of Galapagos, through the eyes of the islands’ most iconic species - the giant tortoises. People protect what they know and love, and these images will continue the important connection visitors and residents feel for these animals," said Galapagos Conservancy President, Johannah Barry. 

About Galapagos Conservancy

For more than 20 years, Galapagos Conservancy has successfully moved science and conservation forward in Galapagos in its role as catalyst and funder. Our conservation agenda is guided by the priorities of the Government of Ecuador and other local actors, to whose projects and programs we provide funding and technical advice. We believe in the power of collaboration and favor investments in local and national organizations that, in the long run, will have the authority and responsibility for protecting this extraordinary world treasure. By building partnerships and leveraging already existing capacities within Galapagos organizations, we can enhance what already exists to achieve greater success. 

Contact Information: 

Johannah E. Barry, President, Galapagos Conservancy

Johannah@galapagos.org 

Ph: 703-383-0077 

Fax: 703-383-1177

www.galapagos.org

Galapagos Tortoise 'Lonesome George' May Have Company

The death of Galápagos tortoise Lonesome George this summer was thought to mark the extinction of a subspecies, but a new study hints that the reptile may not have been the last of his kind after all.

Researchers from Yale University recently trekked to the northern tip of Isabella Island, the largest of the Galápagos, and collected DNA from more than 1,600 giant tortoises. The genetic samples showed that 17 of these tortoises were hybrids that had a parent like Lonesome George from the subspecies Chelonoidis abingdoni.

What's more, five of those hybrids were juveniles, suggesting purebred C. abingdoni tortoises may still be roaming a remote part of the island.
Continued:  http://www.livescience.com/24806-galapagos-tortoise-lonesome-george.html

World’s most famous tortoise, Lonesome George, is dead and his species is extinct

Pinta Island tortoise is now extinct

June 2012. Lonesome George, the sole remaining Pinta Island tortoise and Galapagos conservation icon, was found dead in his corral at the Tortoise Breeding and Rearing Center in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, by members of the Galapagos National Park Service (GNPS).

Fausto Llerena, the park ranger who discovered George and has been his long-term caretaker, was unhappily surprised when he arrived at Lonesome George's corral. Fausto discovered George stretched out in the direction of his watering hole with no signs of life.

Found in 1972 but never managed to breed again
Possible causes of death of this individual, the sole survivor of the Pinta Island tortoise (Chelonoidis abingdoni), will not be known until after an autopsy. Lonesome George was found on Pinta Island in 1972 although Pinta tortoises were thought to be extinct at that time.

Since then, Lonesome George has been part of the Tortoise Program of the Galapagos National Park Service. Various efforts were made to get George to reproduce; two female tortoises collected on Wolf Volcano (Isabela Island) were put in Lonesome George's corral and these females did produce some eggs after 15 years with Lonesome George, but unfortunately all of the eggs were infertile. Later two females from the Espanola tortoise population, the species most closely related to Pinta tortoises genetically, were with George until the end, but without any result.

Spurred greater conservation efforts
The plight of Lonesome George provided a catalyst for an extraordinary effort by the government of Ecuador to restore not only tortoise populations throughout the archipelago but also improve the status of other endangered and threatened species.

Edwin Naula, Director of the GNPS, stated, "This July, the GNPS is convening an international workshop to focus on management strategies for the restoration of tortoise populations during the next ten years. The workshop will be held in honour of Lonesome George. "

Lonesome George's legacy will be an increased effort in both research and management to restore his island of Pinta and all of the other giant tortoise populations of Galapagos.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/lonesome-george-extinct.html

New species of Galapagos deep-sea catshark discovered

ound at depths of up to 1,900ft

March 2012: Scientists conducting deep-sea research in the Galapagos have described a new species of catshark, Bythaelurus giddingsi.

The new shark is approximately a foot long and has a chocolate-brown coloration with pale, irregularly distributed spots on its body. The spotted patterns appear to be unique to each individual. John McCosker of the California Academy of Sciences collected the first specimens of this new catshark while diving to depths of 1,400-1,900 ft aboard the Johnson Sea-Link submersible.

‘The discovery of a new shark species is always interesting, particularly at this time when sharks are facing such incredible human pressure,' said McCosker, chair of Aquatic Biology at the Academy.

Named after award-winning filmmaker‘Many species have become locally rare and others verge on extinction due to their capture for shark-fin soup. The damage to food webs is dramatic, since sharks provide valuable ecological services as top-level predators, when they disappear their niche is often filled by other species that further imbalance ecosystems. Most deepwater shark species are not very susceptible to overfishing; however, since this catshark's range is restricted to the Galapagos, its population is likely limited in size, making it more susceptible than more widely distributed species.'

The California Academy of Sciences sent its first scientific expedition to the Galapagos Islands in 1905 and has since organized dozens of return trips. As a result, the Academy is now home to the world's most comprehensive collection of scientific specimens from these famous islands.

Most Academy field work in the Galapagos today focuses on the marine environment, where dozens of new species have been discovered in recent decades. McCosker's marine research in the Galapagos was the subject of a 1996 Discovery Channel documentary called Galapagos: Beyond Darwin. The new shark is named in honour of award-winning filmmaker Al Giddings, who filmed and produced the Discovery Channel project and many more natural history films.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/catshark-galapagos.html

Galapagos penguin and flightless cormorants survey

Annual Galapagos Penguin and Cormorant Census shows numbers are stable

December 2010. Over the course of 8 days, the Galapagos National Park Service conducted a partial census of penguins and cormorants at four sites on the islands of Isabela and Fernandina, in order to learn about the population status of these species. A partial census is carried out every year, while a complete census is conducted every five years or following strong El Niño years.

Partial census
A full census is carried out in 10 different areas within the archipelago, but the partial census is conducted in just 4 areas that are considered to have the greatest abundance of individuals based on findings from the previous 10 years. This year, birds were observed along the coasts of Fernandina Island between Punta Espinoza to Cape Douglas, and between Punta Mangrove to Punta Espinoza. On Isabela Island, observations were made from Cape Berkeley to Punta Albermarle and from Punta Essex to Punta Moreno.

To count penguins and cormorants, guards approach the shore in small boats. Using binoculars, they register individuals of each species present in the area. When possible, they go ashore to make observations on land.

Oceanographic and atmospheric data (sea and air temperature, water transparency and cloud cover) are recorded at fixed times at each site where penguins and cormorants are found.

721 penguins and 922 cormorants
A total of 721 penguins (Spheniscus mendiculus) and 922 flightless cormorants (Nannopterum harrisi) were counted, demonstrating that the size of the populations of these species in the islands remains similar to levels measured in recent years.

Microchips
During the census, park guards tagged 63 penguins and 39 cormorants with microchips, which will make its possible to identify these individuals in future years.

This census has been carried out since 1961. Penguins and flightless cormorants are endemic to Galapagos; they live mainly around the islands of Isabela and Fernandina.

The penguin, whose population size is small and whose distribution is very limited in the islands, are vulnerable because they require temperatures below 24 degrees Celsius in order to breed. Flightless cormorants have a high level of egg infertility, which also makes them a highly-vulnerable species.

Courtesy of the Galapagos Conservancy

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/galapagos-penguins.html

Galapagos frigatebirds genetically unique

Published: Sept. 28, 2010

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Galapagos Islands frigatebirds are a genetically distinct species from their mainland counterparts, warranting new conservation status, U.S. scientists say.

The equatorial Pacific Ocean islands boast a number of unique plant and animal species from tortoises to iguanas to penguins, but frigatebirds can fly hundreds of miles across open ocean, suggesting their gene flow should be widespread and their genetic makeup should be identical to those of the frigatebirds on the mainland coast of the Americas, researchers from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute say.

But three different genetics tests all yielded the same result -- the Galapagos seabirds have been genetically different from the frigatebirds elsewhere for more than half a million years.

"This was such a surprise," Frank Hailer, a research associate at institute, said. "It's a great testimony to just how unique the fauna and flora of the Galapagos are. Even something that is so well-adapted to flying over open oceans is isolated there."

What is clear is that this small population of genetically unique frigatebirds is a vulnerable group.

Any catastrophic event or threats by humans could wipe out the approximately 2,000 frigatebirds that nest on the Galapagos Islands, researchers say.

"The magnificent frigatebirds on the Galapagos are a unique evolutionarily significant unit, and if the Galapagos population did go extinct, the area will not likely be recolonized rapidly by mainland birds," Robert Fleischer, head of the institute's Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics, said. "This emphasizes the importance of protecting this small population of birds there."

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2010/09/28/Galapagos-frigatebirds-genetically-unique/UPI-78601285723104/
(Submitted by Chad Arment)

Everglades and Madagascar forests on Unesco danger list

A UN panel has added Florida's Everglades National Park and Madagascar's tropical rainforest to a list of world heritage sites at risk.

Unesco's World Heritage Committee said development in the Everglades had caused water flow to fall 60% in the wetland, a major wildlife sanctuary.

The pollution level there was so high it was killing marine life, it added.

Illegal logging and poaching following last year's military coup has meanwhile imperilled Madagascar's rainforests.

On Thursday, the committee voted to remove the Galapagos Islands from the at-risk list, saying Ecuador had made significant progress protecting its ecosystem.

Unique species

At a meeting in Brazil, the Unesco panel said the Everglades had been added to the List of World Heritage in Danger at the request of the US government because of "serious and continuing degradation of its aquatic ecosystem".

Agricultural and urban development were the main reasons for the decrease in water flow and increase in pollution levels, Unesco said.

It is the second time the Everglades, home to 20 endangered species, have been added. The wetlands were first classified as at risk between 1993 and 2007 after being devastated by Hurricane Andrew.

"We commend the USA's request to re-inscribe the site on the danger list, and its plans for major infrastructure overhaul to restore the Everglades's fragile wetland ecosystem," said Mariam Kenza Ali of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The Atsinanana rainforests of Madagascar, which lie within six national parks in the east of the island, were put on the list because of the threat to the many unique species inhabiting them, especially primates and lemurs.

"In adding this site to the danger list, we are calling for international action to halt illegal logging and to also ensure that no illegally logged precious woods from Madagascar enter national markets," said Tim Badman, head of World Heritage at the IUCN.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-10825472

Giant tortoises released onto Pinta Island for the first time for 40 years

Tortoises needed to engineer the ecosystem

June 2010. 39 tortoises have been released into the wilds of Pinta Island, in the northern waters of the Galapagos Archipelago, as part of an ongoing effort to restore the ecological integrity of Pinta ecosystems. This is the first time that tortoises have inhabited the island since the removal of Lonesome George, the last known Pinta tortoise, in 1972.

The return of tortoises to Pinta is considered an essential step towards re-establishing ecological processes on the island. The Ministry of the Environment of Ecuador is overseeing this vital step in the implementation of the plan for the ecological restoration of Pinta.

Lonesome George last of his kind
Giant tortoises on Pinta are thought to have numbered between 5,000 and 10,000 before pirates and whalers began removing them for food. As a result of the over-exploitation in past centuries, tortoises were believed to be extinct on Pinta during much of the twentieth century. The discovery of Lonesome George on Pinta in 1971 surprised scientists and park managers alike. George was transported to the Tortoise Center on Santa Cruz Island in the spring of 1972 to ensure his safety. While park rangers, scientists and the thousands of tourists who have visited George hope that one day a mate will be discovered-on Pinta, in a zoo, or in a private collection-no female Pinta tortoise has yet been found.

Lonesome George was the last of the true Pinta Island tortoises

Tortoises are important eco-system engineers

In addition to the removal of giant tortoises, which are known to play an important role as "ecosystem engineers" through movement patterns, herbivory, and seed dispersal, Pinta also suffered large-scale degradation by introduced goats. Three goats released onto Pinta in 1959 eventually resulted in a population of more than 40,000 animals, which destroyed much of the island's native vegetation. After the GNP achieved eradication of the goats from the island in 2003, the vegetation recovered rapidly. However, full and balanced island restoration required the presence of Galapagos giant tortoises.


Hybrid tortoises sterilized and releasedWhile ongoing genetic studies are helping to determine the best species with which to repopulate the island, it is important that tortoises be released onto Pinta as soon as possible. The decision was made to use the hybrid tortoises held in corrals of the GNP on Santa Cruz and Floreana for this purpose. These tortoises are the offspring of tortoises of unknown origin held in captivity during the early years of the GNP. Given that one of the main goals of the GNP is to conserve the evolutionary integrity of the archipelago's biodiversity, release of hybrid tortoises into the wild is unacceptable. Therefore, these tortoises were destined to spend their entire lives-as much as 150 years or more-in captivity. By sterilizing these tortoises, they can now be released into the wild on Pinta as non-reproducing contributors to the restoration of the island's ecosystem.

A group of veterinarians from the United States, led by Drs. Steve Divers (College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia), Sam Rivera (Zoo Atlanta), and Joe Flanagan (Houston Zoo), worked with the GNP to sterilize the tortoises in November 2009. Since that time, the tortoises have been held in quarantine in a corral separate from all other captive tortoises. Their health is monitored and their faeces are also inspected to determine if they have consumed any seeds. It is essential to ensure that the tortoises do not introduce any plant species to the nearly pristine island. The tortoises will also be fitted with satellite and telemetry tags so that scientists can monitor their movements on Pinta.

This project has been made possible by funding from the Galapagos National Park, and generous contributions of the Panaphil Foundation, Continental Airlines, Buffalo Exchange, SUNY-ESF, the Houston Zoo, a number of veterinarians who have donated their services, and approximately 1,000 Galapagos Conservancy members.

Galapagos Conservancy is dedicated exclusively to the long-term protection of the Galapagos Islands. This single focus allows us to maximize the impact of the financial investments of our members, who include individuals and institutions that care deeply about the Galapagos Islands and understand the scientific importance of preserving this extraordinary ecosystem.

Under the leadership of the Minister of the Environment, the tortoises' release was carried out by a team of park rangers, herpetologists, botanists, and veterinarians-from the Galapagos National Park (GNP), Galapagos Conservancy, the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF), and the Houston Zoo.

Unique species of Galápagos Islands threatened by mosquitoes

Photo: Aquaimages

Caroline Davies
The Guardian, Wednesday 12 August 2009

• Giant tortoise and marine iguana may be at risk
• Excess of tourists raises fear of 'ecological disaster'

Unique species on the Galápagos Islands are under threat from mosquitoes introduced by tourist planes and boats, according to research published today.

The southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, capable of carrying West Nile fever and avian malaria, is being transported from mainland Ecuador and breeding with existing populations on the islands, prompting fears of disease outbreaks.

The Galápagos giant tortoise and marine iguana, which are unique to the archipelago, may now be at risk, say scientists from the University of Leeds and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), who carried out the research in conjunction with the Galápagos national park and Charles Darwin Foundation.

Endemic birds, including the waved albatross, red-footed booby and flightless cormorant, may also be vulnerable.

Dr Simon Goodman, from Leeds University, said that while fumigation measures had been introduced on planes, their success had yet to be evaluated. He said that to prevent the mosquito spreading both cargo and tourists boats should also be regularly treated with insecticide and boat lights changed to ones less likely to attract flying insects.

The Galápagos – an archipelago of volcanic islands in the Pacific ocean – are particularly well-known for their huge number of endemic species, and the number of visitors to the island chain has increased from 40,000 in 1990 to more than 170,000 last year.

Tourism is a major source of income for the Galápagos and Ecuador. In 2007 there were 2,194 flights to the islands, and an estimated 363,000 passenger days on boats.

"Few tourists realise the irony that their trip to the Galápagos may actually increase the risk of an ecological disaster," said Goodman.

Arnaud Bataille, a Leeds-ZSL PhD student, said: "Our research consisted of looking for insects in aircraft holds and genetic analysis of the mosquito populations. The former allows us to quantify the arrival rates of mosquitoes on aeroplanes, and the latter allows us to estimate how many survive and spread around the islands once in Galápagos.

"On average the number of mosquitoes per aeroplane is low, but many aircraft arrive each day from the mainland in order to service the tourist industry, and the mosquitoes seem able to survive and breed once they leave the plane."

The introduction of the southern house mosquito to Hawaii in the 19th century devastated the islands' endemic birds.

Goodman added: "That we haven't already seen serious disease impacts in Galápagos is probably just a matter of luck. The Ecuadorian government recently introduced a requirement for all aircraft flying to Galápagos to have insecticide treatment, but the effectiveness hasn't yet been evaulated, and similiar measures still need to be introduced for ships.

"With tourism growing so rapidly, the future of Galápagos hangs on the ability of the Ecuadorian government to maintain stringent biosecurity protection for the islands."

Earlier this year, on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin – who developed his theory of evolution after visiting the islands – the Darwin Foundation warned that an ecological disaster might only be a decade away.

The influx of visitors has caused a sharp spike in alien species, which now seriously threaten the fragile ecosystem of the island chain. In 1900 just 112 alien species were recorded, compared with 1,321 in 2007.

While programmes are already in place to remove pests such as feral goats, pigs, cats and dogs, insects such as mosquitoes and the fire ants that have also been imported to the island are more difficult to eradicate.

Andrew Cunningham, a senior scientist at ZSL said: "Our research has shown that everything is in place for a similiar disaster to occur in Galápagos as occurred in Hawaii."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/aug/12/wildlife-conservation

Rare tortoise could become father

Famous Galapagos giant tortoise Lonesome George, who is believed to be the last of his species, could be about to become a father for the first time.

His keepers have spent years trying to encourage him to mate and now the latest pairing has produced five eggs.

The eggs are being cared for in an incubation centre in the Galapagos National Park and it could be clear by November whether Lonesome George who is between 90 and 100 will become a father.

See video at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8164404.stm