George the elephant tortoise. Abingdon elephant tortoise. Who was Lonely George
In the early morning of Sunday, June 24, perhaps the most famous tortoise in the world, a Galapagos named Lonely George, died. Together with George, a whole subspecies of giant reptiles disappeared from the planet, which once inhabited the Galapagos Islands in abundance, but were exterminated by people in just a hundred years.
background
The first of the many islands of the Galapagos archipelago was formed about 5-10 million years ago. Its "parent" was a volcano: the material that makes up the island is hardened lava. Following the first island, a second, third, and so on formed - now the group includes 16 large islands and many small formations. The archipelago is located in the region of the Galapagos Rift - a transverse fault in the earth's crust, which manifests itself as constant ejections of lava. This volcanically active zone is called the Nazca plateau, and it is slowly shifting to the southeast at a rate of about seven centimeters per year. Accordingly, older islands move away over time, giving way to younger ones.
Moving away from the place of their formation, the islands are slowly covered with vegetation, although rather sparse compared to the mainland regions located at the same latitude - that is, almost at the equator. But the relative poverty of the plant world is more than compensated by its uniqueness. There are practically no sources of fresh water on the islands, and the climate there is very cool, so the plants that ventured to gain a foothold in the Galapagos had to develop a fair amount of adaptations to harsh conditions.
Island animals also differ markedly from their relatives on the "mainland" - the vast majority of species living in the Galapagos are endemic, that is, unique to this particular place. By staying on the islands, the tetrapods and birds got a bleak landscape, a harsh climate, and often a very meager choice of food, but rid themselves of the mainland's countless predators.
History
George's ancestors appeared on one of the smallest islands of the Pinta archipelago a very long time ago. The giant tortoises - the length of the dorsal shield of their shell reaches one meter or more - had no natural enemies in the Galapagos, so they bred for their own pleasure and freely roamed the island, eating juicy grass. There were so many leisurely reptiles covered with thick bone plates that the islands were even named after them - the Spanish word "galapago" means one of the varieties of aquatic turtles.
While we were at the top of the island, we ate exclusively turtle meat. The fried breast part of the shell with the meat left on it is very good, and the cubs make an excellent soup. But in general, turtle meat, for my taste, is nothing special.
The island idyll remained unchanged for thousands of years, until one day, which was no different from the others, people appeared on the island. They quickly realized that turtles were not able to defend themselves against enemies, and since there was no other food for Pinta, they quickly mastered the preparation of various dishes from turtle meat. Sailors hunted not only for adult turtles, but also for cubs, from which a very tender soup was obtained.
A little later, people decided to colonize the Galapagos and, in order to make life on the uncomfortable islands more enjoyable, they brought their pets with them. This turned out to be a fatal decision: if the pigs simply trampled the grass, then the goats ate it at such a speed that entire turtle families died of starvation. There were also dogs that did not dare to attack turtles, but they took great pleasure in catching unsuspecting iguanas. Gradually, giant tortoises on the island of Pinta met less and less until they disappeared altogether.
A few more decades passed, and when it seemed that the island had finally died, the situation suddenly changed for the better. Similar processes took place on the neighboring islands of Pinto, and although the consequences there were not so catastrophic due to their larger size, it became clear to environmentalists that the Galapagos Islands needed to be saved, and urgently. In order to prevent the transformation of a unique nature reserve into a lifeless desert, in 1974 a large-scale program was launched on the archipelago to restore the turtle population. Scientists have also tried to save other endemic animals.
To stop the destruction of the islands, it was necessary, first of all, to get rid of goats and other introduced species. In 1959, the fishermen brought with them only three herbivores: a male and two females. By 1973, more than 30 thousand individuals lived on the island. The extermination of the goats that have bred on the archipelago required a lot of efforts from environmentalists: they finally managed to cope with this task only in 2009. More than 80,000 animals and over six million dollars were spent during the impact phase.
In parallel, the researchers, as best they could, restored the number of turtles on the islands. As a result of their efforts, the number of giant reptiles has increased from 3,000 in 1974 to 20,000 today.
The present
But for the subspecies Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni, to which Lonely George belonged, the story, alas, was over forever. By the time the Galapagos Islands restoration program began, it was believed that C. n. abingdoni extinct, but in 1972 (according to other sources, in 1971), the Hungarian biologist Josef Vazvolgyi noticed a characteristic silhouette on Pinta Island. The miraculously preserved turtle was placed in a specially equipped enclosure and began to search for suitable partners for George.
Since other known representatives of the subspecies C. n. abingdoni left, scientists selected girlfriends for George from the closest groups. As a result, we settled on two females caught on the neighboring island of Isabella. For the first 15 years of living together, George did not show any interest in the ladies, but in 2008 one of the turtles laid eggs. Scientists immediately placed them in an incubator, but, despite all the thoroughness of nursing, not a single cub hatched. A year later, one of George's companions laid eggs again, and again to no avail.
The lonely male did not try to leave offspring anymore - perhaps the difference between the two subspecies, which was insignificant for people, seemed too big for him. In 2011, two females from the island of Hispaniola, belonging to the subspecies C. n. hoodensis- a closer analysis showed that genetically they are closer to George than the turtles from Isabella. New girlfriends remained with the rescued until his death, but George did not want to mate with any of them.
The corpse of the last representative of the once numerous subspecies C. n. abingdoni discovered in the early morning of June 24 by the keeper of the enclosure, who had been caring for the turtle for more than 40 years. Judging by the posture, George was heading for a water hole. The exact cause of the death of the animal is still unknown - in the near future, experts intend to conduct an autopsy and understand what happened to him. By the standards of giant tortoises, which are believed to live for two hundred years, George was still very young - he was hardly over a hundred.
Future
Despite all the tragedy of what happened, some researchers believe that the subspecies C. n. abingdoni can still be restored. According to some reports, the giant tortoise living in the Prague Zoo is the same species as George. Later, DNA analysis disproved these assumptions, but in 2007, scientists found animals on Isabella Island whose genes contained about half of George's genes. In other words, the found turtles were most likely born from a union C. n. abingdoni with a representative of some other subspecies. And it cannot be ruled out that the parent of unusual animals has not yet died, which means that it is possible to find him.
Lonely George
Lonely George, photo 2007
George was found by a Hungarian scientist on the island of Pinta (a small island in the north of the archipelago, also called Abingdon) in 1972. Named after American actor George Gobel (English) Russian . Theoretically, turtles of this species are able to maintain the ability to reproduce even at the age of 200 years. Since George's death, the Abingdon elephant tortoise subspecies is considered extinct.
For decades, zoologists have tried to get offspring from George, but to no avail. At one time, scientists believed that George was not capable of reproduction at all, but this turned out not to be the case. In May 2007, after a genetic analysis of 2,000 turtles, a female from Wolf Volcano was discovered, genetically similar to George, being a hybrid and having a paternal relative of George, after which there was hope for continuation of the family. Fertilization occurred, but the embryos in the eggs were not viable.
George was often called the most famous bachelor in the world .
Lonesome George is the subject of Lonesome George: The Life and Love of the World's Most Famous Turtle by Henry Nichols. Lonesome George: The Life and Loves of the world "s most famous tortoise ) .
On June 24, 2012, the body of a unique reptile was found without signs of life by the caretaker of the reserve Fausto Llereno, who had been caring for the turtle for 40 years. Lonely George died at the age of about 100 without giving offspring. This means the extinction of the corresponding subspecies. . Once opened, the turtle will be embalmed and displayed in a local museum so that future generations will have a visual representation of the extinct reptile.
Literature
- Darevsky I. S., Orlov N. L. Rare and endangered animals. Amphibians and reptiles / ed. V. E. Sokolova. - M .: Higher. school, 1988. - S. 53. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN 5-06-001429-0
Notes
Sources
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .
See what "Lonely George" is in other dictionaries:
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Byron, George Noel Gordon- George Noel Gordon Byron. BYRON (Byron) George Noel Gordon (1788 1824), English romantic poet; from 1809 member of the House of Lords. In 1816 he left Great Britain and lived in Italy. In the poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage (1812-18), Eastern poems (including ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
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- (1788 1824) English romantic poet; member of the House of Lords. In 1816 he left Great Britain and lived in Italy. In the poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage (1812 18), oriental poems (including Giaur, Lara, Corsair), philosophical symbolic dramatic ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
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Kingdom: Animals (Animalia).
Type: Chordata.
Class: Reptiles (Reptilia).
Order: Turtles (Testudines).
Family: Turtles (Testudinidae).
Genus: American tortoises (Chelonoidis).
Species: Elephant turtle (Chelonoidis nigra).
Subspecies: Abingdon elephant turtle (Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni).
WHY IS INCLUDED IN THE RED BOOK
The Abingdon Elephant Tortoise is one of the clearest examples of the fact that the Red Book is a "living" book. It changes every day and perhaps every hour. Scientists do not always have time to quickly track what is happening and find a sufficient number of convincing facts. It is clear that by the time this edition is published, the Abingdon elephant tortoise will be classified as EX, marked in black, as an extinct species. As we have already said, when work began on the description of this subspecies, the last representative of the rare taxon was still alive. His name was Lonely George.
Lonely George was discovered on Pinta Island (Abingdon) on December 1, 1972 and taken under observation. The last years of his life, he lived in the Galapagos National Park of Ecuador, at the station. Charles Darwin on Santa Cruz Island. Here, George was well looked after and hoped to get viable offspring from him. Several unsuccessful attempts have been made to cross George with females of other subspecies. Although the eggs were laid, none of them hatched. Scientists believe that at the time of death, George was 90-100 years old. Since these reptiles were long-lived in the animal kingdom and retained the ability to reproduce almost until the end of their lives, there was still hope for a successful restoration of the subspecies during George's lifetime. Researchers will have to carefully test the genetic structure of populations of other related taxa living in the Galapagos Islands. Real proof is needed that George was in fact "the last of his kind".
In the 19th century Abingdon elephant tortoises abounded on Pinta Island. The main reason for the disappearance of the subspecies was that almost all vegetation on the island was exterminated by feral goats. As a result, the turtles had no food resources left. Clumsy and slow reptiles were easy prey for poachers.
By the beginning of the 1970s. 20th century only one representative of the subspecies managed to survive. Scientists until the last hoped to restore the subspecies and return it to its natural habitat. In addition, numerous attempts to regulate the number of goats on the island of Pinta were eventually successful, and the herbaceous cover of the island was finally restored. Lonely George has been a symbol of the Galapagos Islands and of the endangered species conservation movement in general. Various celebrities came to visit Lonely George, including Prince Charles and Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie.
WHERE Dwells
The Abingdon elephant tortoise is an endemic subspecies that lived exclusively on the uninhabited island of Pinta in the Galapagos archipelago.
HOW TO FIND OUT
Abingdon elephant tortoises 100% justified the species name given to them - "elephant". These were real giants, sometimes reaching a body weight of 300-350 kg. Their large, ossified carapace was dyed a deep grey-brown. In all turtles, including elephants, the ribs and spine are inseparably fused with the carapace. Such a system forms a powerful defense for the body. Therefore, the myth that the turtle can leave its "house" has no scientific evidence. The body of turtles was covered with dryish wrinkled skin. Elephant tortoises had a long neck and a relatively small head. Males were almost twice as large as females.
LIFESTYLE AND BIOLOGY
Being cold-blooded animals, turtles crawled out in the morning to bask in the sun. The dark color of the shell helped absorb more sunlight and better warm up the body. Then the turtles spent most of their time looking for food. Moving at an average speed of 0.3 km / h, they systematically examined the territory of their native island, hoping to find fresh, juicy grass to support vitality. Elephant turtles were distinguished by almost undeveloped hearing, but excellent sense of smell and good eyesight.
During the mating season, the males staged ritual fights, trying to determine the most important and strong. They stretched their necks, opened their mouths, stood in ritual poses. At this time, as well as at the time of mating, the males could puff and hiss, trying in every possible way to express the emotions that overwhelmed them. For oviposition, females went to dry, well-warmed sandy beaches. Sometimes it took them several days to dig a hole about 30 cm deep. Using their hind legs, the female Abingdon elephant tortoise patiently performed complex and serious work. The sex of the embryos in these reptiles depends on the temperature of the environment. At lower temperatures, more males are born; at higher temperatures, more females. Incubation could last from four to eight months. After birth, babies faced many dangers. First of all, they needed to get to the surface and not become a victim of birds of prey. Sexual maturity occurs at the age of about 20-25 years.
Elephant tortoises have made a huge contribution to the development of the general theory of evolution. After all, it was them, or rather the external differences of individuals living in different environmental conditions, that Charles Darwin noticed during a round-the-world trip on the Beagle. The fact is that the size and shape of the shell in representatives of different populations of elephant turtles are very different. This made the great scientist seriously think about the influence of the environment on the body.
5 041I dedicate this post to the memory of Lonely George, the last representative of a rare subspecies of armored reptiles - the Abingdon elephant tortoise. Lonely George died yesterday in the Galapagos National Park, where he has lived since 1972.
Sad news. A WHOLE SPECIES of the giant elephant tortoise has disappeared from the face of the Earth forever. In nature, there are practically no predators for which these reptiles could become prey. Only people actively destroyed elephant turtles. It is bitter to realize that the true culprit of this tragedy has once again become Homo sapience - REASONABLE MAN!!! You already begin to doubt the latter, analyzing the activity of the human race from its inception to the present day. Now we have no choice but to mourn our own sacrifice.
In the Galapagos Islands, Lonesome George, the last male giant elephant tortoise at the age of one hundred, died.
The most famous tortoise died in the Galapagos (photo: noblebrute.com)
According to reports from the Galapagos National Park, Lonesome George, the last and only member of the Abingdon elephant tortoise subspecies, passed away on Sunday, June 24th.
This morning, the park ranger came to check on George, but found that his body was motionless and he did not react to the surrounding reality. His life has come to an end, - said the head of the Galapagos National Park, Edwin Naula.
George was found on the island of Pinta in 1972 and since then the glory of the "symbol" of the Galapagos Islands, located in Ecuador, has stuck to him.
Thousands of tourists came to Ecuador to see George (photo: noblepride.com)
Every year, thousands of tourists specially came to the island in order to admire "the most famous bachelor in the world."
A book was also written about George - Lonely George: The Life and Love of the World's Most Famous Turtle. The author of a popular science book dedicated to a huge turtle, was Henry Nichols.
Yana Shebalina, Life News Online
01:23, Monday June 25, 2012
http://lifenews.ru/news/95353
And now we have to get acquainted with the "biography" of the elephant turtle. So...
The elephant tortoise is a real giant among all representatives of the detachment. This animal is considered a rare species today due to the fact that at one time it was the only available food for sailors.
Sailors of the XXVI-XXVII centuries said that a myriad of elephant turtles were found on the islands of Mauritius, Madagascar, Reunion, and also throughout the Galapagos archipelago. They gathered in huge herds of 2000 - 3000 animals. Ships that sailed to India always stopped near these islands to stock up on elephant turtles. At the same time, several hundred animals were immediately loaded on board. For 20 to 30 years, many captains have been collecting elephant tortoises for the purpose of selling them. As a result, at the beginning of the 19th century, elephant tortoises remained only in Madagascar and the Galapagos Islands. By the way, the Galapagos Islands were once called the Turtle Islands, and now the elephant tortoise is sometimes called the Galapagos.
Among the elephant turtles there are giants, reaching 400 kg in weight, and more than a meter in length of the shell. In nature, there are practically no predators for which these reptiles could become prey. Actively destroyed elephant turtles, perhaps, only people. And for the same reason, today they are forced to protect these reptiles, which have significantly decreased in number.
The absence of danger to some extent determined the appearance of the elephant tortoise. Its carapace resembles a saddle and is wide open in front. Due to this openness, the elephant tortoise is able to regulate its body temperature in the hot climate of the Galapagos Islands, where it lives. Male elephant tortoises are noticeably larger than females and, due to this size, have always been interesting objects for zoos. But today, all subspecies of this animal, of which there are about 16, are listed in the IUCN Red List. Interestingly, elephant turtles sometimes choose plants that are poisonous to other animals as food. Undoubtedly, this animal can rightly be called the main attraction of the Galapagos Islands. Even Charles Darwin noted how interesting it is to observe the behavior of elephant turtles. In particular, he described such an unusual feature of the animal as deafness. Whether elephant turtles really have hearing problems, the scientist did not explain, but said that the steps of a person who met a turtle and followed it, the animal does not hear and is not frightened until the pursuer falls into its field of vision.
Other names
Chelonoidis elephant opus is the name of a species of elephant tortoise, derived from lat. Chelonoidis (a genus of land turtles).
Testudo elephant opus - the name is derived from lat. Testudines (tortoise order) and Testudinidae (land tortoise family).
Geochelone elephant opus, Chelonoidis nigra, Geochelone nigra, Testudo nigra - lat. species name in combination with lat. nigra (black), a character referring to the predominantly dark color of the shell of the elephant tortoise.
Galápagos giant tortoise, Galápagos tortoise Galapagos tortoise.
The Galapagos tortoise is another well-known name for its habitat.
Classification
Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordates
Subtype: Vertebrates
Class: Reptiles
Order: Turtles
Suborder: Hidden-necked turtles
Family: Land turtles
Genus: American land
turtles
Species: Elephant turtle
Subspecies: abingdonii (Abingdon), becki (Rothschild's tortoise), chathamensis (Chatham), darvini (Darwin's tortoise), ephippium (Pinson's tortoise), duncanensis (Duncan), galopagoensis (Charles Island tortoise), guentheri (Guenther's tortoise), hoodensis ( Hispaniola), microphyes (Isabelle), nigrita (Black), phantastica (Fernandina tortoise), porteri (Santacruz), vandenburghi (Vandenburg tortoise), vicina (Cave), wallacei (Jervis).
habitation
A rare, in fact, endangered species of elephant tortoises today has survived only on the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Ecuador (South America) and also on the territory of Aldabra Island, which is a national park and located in the Indian Ocean. The areas inhabited by elephant tortoises are distinguished by a hot, dry climate and sparse vegetation. This is mainly a sparse grass cover and rare shrubs and trees. You can also meet elephant turtles in tropical broad-leaved forests, on scrub plains and savannahs, as well as in the lowlands of the Galapagos Islands, covered with solidified lava. In search of fresh water and available vegetation, these reptiles are able to climb winding paths leading to volcanic highlands. Female elephant tortoises prefer the sandy lowlands of the coast, because there it is most convenient for them to lay their eggs, but male elephants climb high on the mountain slopes, because the vegetation there is lush and the air is humid. By the way, elephant turtles living in the lowlands tend to make long journeys in search of sources of fresh water and even tread noticeable paths to them, along which people later found this water at one time.
As already mentioned, 16 subspecies of elephant tortoises are known, and their habitat is usually limited to one of the islands. And a hint about which one is often contained in the name of the subspecies. For example, the Abingdon tortoise is found on about. Abingdon (Pinta), mostly in rocky, uneven terrain where volcanic rocks come to the surface. Rothschild's tortoise has chosen the uneven, bushy northern and western slopes of Wolf Island. Isabela. The Chatham elephant tortoise is easy to find in the northeastern meadows of about. Santa Cristobal. Darwin's turtle is found on the rocks of about. San Salvador at an altitude of 200 to 700 m above sea level. Pinzon's tortoise lives on narrow grassy areas on the southwestern slope of the volcano. Gunther's elephant tortoises inhabit the Sierra Negro mountain system in the southeast of Isabela Island, but are also found on dry plains with rare cacti and trees. The habitat of the Hispaniola tortoise, respectively, the rocks of the island of Hispaniola. Isabelskaya is found within the dry slopes of the Darwin volcano on about. Isabela. The population of the Black elephant tortoise settled in the clearings of about. Santa Cruz and, by the way, is considered the most numerous among all subspecies. The tortoises of Fernandina Island live, respectively, on its volcanic slopes. The Vandenburg elephant tortoise spread not only along the slopes of the Aldero volcano on about. Albemarle, but also occupied its crater. And, finally, the cave elephant turtle chose the Sierra Azul volcano in the south of about. Isabela.
Description
Elephant turtles are rather slow animals. They travel no more than 6 km per day. Female elephant tortoises lay 10-14 eggs in small holes and don't take care of them anymore.
During the day, elephant turtles are very cautious, but at night they pay absolutely no attention to anything, which is why they seem blind and deaf.
We have already mentioned that the elephant tortoise is a giant of amazing size. Its shell can be up to 120 cm long and 60 cm high. The average weight is 100 kg. And the approximate life expectancy is 150 years. However, the name of the elephant tortoise is due not only to its size, but also to its appearance. To support the heavy and massive body of the reptile, powerful columnar legs are adapted, indeed, reminiscent of elephants. And her skin on the limbs and neck protruding from under the shell is very similar to the thick rubbery epidermis of an elephant. The upper shield of the elephant tortoise shell has a special saddle shape - at the back it falls low and slightly bends upwards, and in front, on the contrary, it is raised high, so that the front legs and the long thin neck of the reptile remain practically unprotected. Males have a longer tail with a clear pattern.
Different subspecies of elephant tortoises differ mainly in the size and shape of the shell. On this basis, scientists classified them into two groups. The smallest elephant tortoises live on small arid islands and have longer, thinner legs. Their shell clearly repeats the shape of the saddle, and the weight is about 25-50 kg. In areas with a more humid climate, elephant turtles are also larger. They have a high, dome-like shell. Zoologists suggest that thanks to this form of carpax, elephant turtles are easily introduced into any plant jungle. On the dorsal shield of these reptiles, a pattern is noticeably distinguished in the form of polygons located in each other, by the number of sides of which it is possible to calculate the age of the animal. The elephant turtle is most active during the day, and at night it hides the back of its body in a hole specially dug for this purpose. During the day, the reptile finds salvation from heat and insects by burrowing into silt or liquid mud.
Elephant turtles feed on plants and drink a lot of water. If there is no water near their pasture, elephant tortoises do not go to the watering hole every day, but store water in their bladder and consume it as needed.
Since the living conditions of elephant turtles are not the most favorable, they are also quite unpretentious in nutrition. The largest part of the diet is plant foods - leaves of shrubs and grass on volcanic slopes, succulent cacti that replace water for turtles, tree lichens and leaves, low-hanging berries and fruits, aquatic vegetation, algae. The main delicacy for elephant turtles is tomatoes. Living in a dry area, the reptile can do without water and food for a long time. However, if the elephant tortoise finds a source of fresh water, then it will drink it little by little for a long time, burrowing into the silt aground. Among the plants that elephant tortoises eat with pleasure are stinging nettles and various thorny bushes that do not cause them any harm. Animal food for a reptile most often becomes a variety of found carrion.
Many navigators said that on the ship, elephant turtles sometimes starved for up to 18 months, and upon arrival at the port they turned out to be quite healthy and viable. There are cases when elephant turtles lived in captivity for 100-150 years.
In the terrarium, it is recommended to feed the elephant tortoise with plant foods. In general, this giant is rarely kept at home, more often it is found in various national parks or zoos. There, a completely balanced diet is created for the elephant tortoise, mainly vegetable with a small addition of animal protein.
In order for the mating of elephant turtles to be successful, nature has provided special tricks in the structure of males. In particular, they have a small notch on the bottom of the shell, which allows them to climb onto the female's shell and stay on it. If fertilization has happened, then the female elephant tortoise is preparing for laying. Every year she is able to lay her eggs in the same pre-selected warm and safe place. Sometimes the female preliminarily digs several nests in different places in order to choose the most suitable one from them later. In search of a suitable laying place, females often make real trips around the islands. The number of eggs in the elephant tortoise clutch is approximately 2-20 each year from November to April. Moreover, she lays them in the prepared nest very carefully, insuring with the help of a special enveloping liquid, and then just as carefully sprinkles them with earth. In the nest, turtle eggs will “ripen” for a little more than six months - from June to December. And the hatched elephant turtles will dig up the ground and get to the surface on their own.
It is not possible to have a giant elephant tortoise at home due to its huge size. Most often, these reptiles live in various zoos and southern reserves, where spacious enclosures with vegetation and pools are equipped for them. In captivity, elephant tortoises are bred specifically to increase the numbers of an endangered species. In the wild, under the supervision of people, it is not difficult to create suitable conditions for these reptiles, because the most they need is the sun, warmth and the availability of plant foods. The most suitable air temperature for breeding elephant turtles should be + 28- + 33 degrees Celsius.
And a very short video about the elephant turtle in conclusion
A tortoise named Lonely George, thought to be the last of the Abingdon elephant tortoise subspecies, died of natural causes at the end of June in a wildlife sanctuary on Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos archipelago.
However, recently, as reported in the British press, scientists have found relatives of George. Thus, the death of George does not mean the extinction of the subspecies.
There are at least 17 tortoises in the Galapagos Islands that share genetic traits similar to George, including those of the same genus, according to a statement from the Galapagos National Park. So George's death doesn't mean the end of the giant tortoise species. Chelonoidis abingdonii.
Such a conclusion was made by scientists at Yale University, who found nine females, three males and five cubs with the genes of a giant tortoise from Pinta Island, where Lonely George was found in 1972.
"Researchers compared more than 1,600 DNA samples taken in 2008 from turtles living at Wolf volcano on Isabela Island with George's genes and samples stored at the Pinta Island Turtle Museum. The results showed that among the turtles at the volcano there may be hybrids , and individual individuals on Pint may be purebred," the newspaper notes.
Scientists have found Lonesome George in December 1972 on Pinta Island. He received his name in honor of the American actor George Gobel. Later, the turtle was transported to another island in the archipelago. George was kept in captivity at the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galapagos Islands.
For decades, scientists have been trying to get offspring from the union of Lonesome George and Galapagos tortoises of other subspecies, but this has not worked out. One day, a female Galapagos tortoise, after mating with George, laid eggs, but the cubs never hatched.
Giant Galapagos tortoises can weigh up to four hundred kilograms and reach 1.8 meters in length. Elephant tortoises were extirpated from the Galapagos Islands about 150 years ago. According to documentary sources, whalers took several million individuals from the islands during the 18th-19th centuries as provisions.
Sailors called the turtles "living canned food" because they could live for a long time in the hold of a ship without food and water. Currently, 30-40 thousand turtles of ten different species live on the islands, while a few centuries ago their number was ten times higher.
The Galapagos Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean and belong to the state of Ecuador. The Galapagos Islands area is home to many unique species, including giant tortoises, iguanas, some bird species and other animals.
According to scientists, observations of the Galapagos tortoises became the starting point for Charles Darwin in creating the theory of evolution through natural selection. While traveling through these islands, the scientist noticed that the shells of turtles from different islands have differences in shape.
According to ria.ru
