Santa Cruz - Charles Darwin Research Station

Tuesday, 28 August 2018
Galapagos Day 4

The Charles Darwin Research Station is the focal point for all research relating to the Galapagos. On site they run an extensive tortoise breeding program for all the islands, and it is the one place where you can see tortoises from all the islands. Currently, ten extant species, and three extinct species are recognized.

The only predator of adult Galapagos tortoises is man. In the past, sailors of all sorts (explorers, navies, pirates, merchant marines) gathered tortoises for long ocean voyages. When turned on their backs, and thus disabled, the tortoises could live for up to a year without food or water.

For the first two years, the juvenile tortoises are kept in group enclosures that protect them from nocturnal predators (mainly rats). Each one is numbered, and the various species are mixed together at this stage of their development. Older tortoises are separated into groups from the same island.

There are two main categories of Galapagos tortoises. These are domed tortoises that forage on ground vegetation.

The inspiration for Spielberg's "E.T."?

A saddleback tortoise, the other major division of Galapagos tortoises. They can reach higher vegetation.

The CDRS also has a few land iguanas. This one's skin is molting.

Land iguana.

Two land iguanas on opposite sides of a screened window.