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GALAPAGOS CONSERVANCY FACT SHEET
11150 Fairfax Boulevard, Suite 408 • Fairfax, VA 22030 • www.galapagos.org
Endangered Species of the Galapagos Islands
Galapagos Land Iguana (Conolophus subcristatus, Conolophus pallidus):
There are two species of land iguana found in the Galapagos
Islands. Conolophus subcristatus is native to six islands, and
Conolophus pallidus is found only on the island of Santa Fe. They
are large (more than 3 feet long), yellowish animals, with males
weighing up to 30 pounds. Galapagos land iguanas are thought to
have had a common ancestor who floated out to the islands from
the South American mainland on rafts of vegetation.
Land iguanas live in the drier areas of the islands and in the
mornings are found sprawled beneath the hot equatorial sun.
However, to escape the intense heat of midday, they seek the shade
Photo by Norine Audette
of cactus, rocks, trees, or other vegetation. At night they sleep
in burrows dug in the ground, to conserve their body heat. The
land iguanas show a fascinating interaction with Darwin’s finches,
raising themselves off the ground and allowing the little birds to remove ticks. They feed mainly
on low-growing plants and shrubs, such as the spiny opuntia cacti, as well as fallen fruits and
cactus pads. These succulent plants provide them with the moisture they require during long,
dry periods.
Land iguanas reach maturity between 8 and 15 years of age. Males
are territorial and will aggressively defend specific areas that
typically include more than one female. Following the mating
period, the female iguanas migrate to suitable areas to nest, and
will lay between 2 and 25 eggs in a burrow dug in the sandy soil.
The female defends the burrow for a short time to prevent other
females from nesting in the same place. Young iguanas hatch 3-4
months later, and take about one week to dig their way out of the
nest. If they survive the difficult first years of life, when food is
often scarce and predators are a danger, land iguanas can live for
more than 50 years.
Photo by Jack Bartholmai
In 1976, wild dogs wiped out a colony of almost 500 land iguanas
at Conway Bay on Isla Santa Cruz. Together, the Charles Darwin Research Station and Galapagos
National Park Service launched an emergency rescue operation for the 60 or so survivors.
Shortly thereafter, another large-scale attack occurred at Cartago Bay on Isabela, and 30 more
iguanas were rescued. To help re-establish the land iguana populations, the GNPS and the CDRS
began a breeding and rearing program for iguanas, and a breeding center was established in
Santa Cruz. Twelve years later, repatriation began and continues today. The CDRS and the GNPS
carry out regular monitoring of this population.
Galapagos Land Snails:
One of the tiniest endangered species that is native to the Galapagos Islands is the Land Snail.
There are fifty seven different species of the Land Snail, however not all of them are found on
every island. When one is spotted though, it is usually found in the part of the island where
higher altitudes are located and there is a greater variety of vegetation.
Even though the Land Snails have their fair share of natural predators, like ants, beetles, and
mockingbirds, invasive invertebrates have made the Land snails their prey. The combination of
the increasing amount of invasive species coupled with the urbanization resulting from human
activity has caused the majority of Land Snails to become endangered.
Galapagos Penguin:
The words tropical and penguin don’t normally go together, but
the Galapagos are the permanent home to the world’s only true
tropical penguin. All penguins are flightless and most live in the
southern hemisphere and cold subantarctic waters, except for
the one-of-a-kind Galapagos penguin. A probable descendant
from the cold-loving Humboldt penguin, the Galapagos penguin
has overcome some of the many characteristics that make other
penguins so well-adapted to their frigid surroundings. To avoid
overheating from their incredible insulation, they have evolved
the shortest feathers of all penguins and can endure warm waters
reaching 82°F. In an effort to protect their eggs from the intense
heat of the sun, they lay and incubate their eggs in shady nooks.
Photo by Gerald Corsi
Like most penguins, they are rather uncoordinated on land, but swim swiftly and gracefully
through the water. They are often seen lounging on rocky platforms, and they can even be seen
by snorkellers as they feed on sardines and mullet close to the water surface. Adult penguins
mate for life and breed in colonies of up to 40 birds, and females lay 1 or 2 eggs in dark crevices
where they are incubated for 38-42 days.
The Galapagos penguin population was devastated by El Nino in
1982-83, falling to less than 500 individuals. Their numbers have
been rising ever since, but they now have the added danger of
falling prey to feral dogs, cats, and rats.
Galapagos Petrel:
Since 1994, the Galapagos Petrel has been on the verge of
extinction causing it to be awarded a critically endangered
status. This species, which is found on four different islands, San
Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Santiago, and Floreana, is both brownish
black and white and has a thick black beak. Although all the birds
on each island share similar characteristics, their individual sizes
and breeding times are all different.
The use by humans of areas that contained rich volcanic soil in
order to cultivate crops has been one of the major factors that
(2)
Photo by Betsey Chalmers
have led to the decline of the Galapagos Petrel population. Additionally, the increase of dogs and
cats on the islands has led to an increasing amount of Petrels being killed. In order to address
this growing concern of the elimination of the Galapagos Petrels from the Islands, scientists
have been actively attempting to control the predators and monitoring the nests and the birds
themselves.
Giant Tortoise from Pinta Island:
The most famous of the Galapagos Islands endangered species is
the Pinta Giant Tortoise, of which only one remains. Although
there are eleven species of the giant tortoise, the only surviving
Pinta tortoise is named Lonesome George who currently can be
found at the Charles Darwin Research Station. The Pinta tortoise
has a saddle back shell that is raised in order to assist the tortoise’s
eating habits. Additionally, this species is considered to be one
of the smaller tortoises found on the islands. Lonesome George
is supposedly between 60 and 90 years old and when he dies his
specific will end with him. Although scientists are constantly
trying to assist in the breeding process by housing him with two
other females at the research center, the fact that he grew up alone
causes his breeding skills to be extraordinarily limited.
Lonseome Georgre in his corral at the Charles
Darwin Research Station in 2007
Photo by Lori Ulrich.
The decline of Pinta Great Tortoises was evidently caused by the
human hunting of tortoises and because of the increase of introduced species that occurred in
the 1950’s. During this time, farmers brought goats to Pinta Island and introduced them into
the area as an alternative food source. However, instead of being beneficial, the goats devoured
all the vegetation, eliminating the tortoises’ food source. From this issue with the goats, the
majority of tortoises on Pinta Island were eliminated, leaving only Lonesome George. Scientists
are working hard to keep Lonesome George alive and to prevent the deterioration the existence
of such a fascinating animal.
Mangrove Finch:
Of all of the finches that Charles Darwin studied, the Mangrove Finch
is becoming the first species of finch in the Galapagos that is becoming
extinct. The brown and olive colored birds are unique in the sense that
their elongated, pointy beak assists them in finding food, even when the
supply of food is scarce. The Mangrove Finch loves to eat insects and often
uses its sharp beak to find insects, such as larva and grubs, which often
hide in pieces of dead wood. This type of bird only lives and breeds in
mangrove stands that are only found miles away from the sea.
Unfortunately, the Mangrove Finch is one of the most critically
endangered species found in the Galapagos Islands. There are
currently less than hundred Mangrove Finches alive and are
only located on the north western coast of Isabella Island. A
combination of natural factors, mainly the El Nino Cycle,
coupled with increased human activity on the islands has
led to the massive decline of the Mangrove Finch.
Additionally, the steadily increasing introduction of invasive
(3)
Illustration by Lori Ulrich
species, such as black rats, cats, fire ants, and diseases, has taken a toll on the bird population.
Saving the Mangrove Finch has been a high priority for scientists who have been working
diligently to ensure the success of programs that are designed to control the threats of invasive
species.
Native Rice Rat:
Rats may be the most hardy and resilient of all mammals, and it is
assumed that the first rats to arrive in Galapagos traveled there by
drifting on rafts of vegetation. It is believed that seven species of
rice rats were once native to the islands, but only small numbers
of four species remain today. Unfortunately, the more recently
introduced black rats have virtually wiped out the native rats, and
it seems likely that competition for resources and possibly a viral
disease transmitted by black rats were important factors in their
demise. In fact, the Santiago rice rat was “rediscovered” in 1998; it
was believed to have been extinct.
Endemic rice rats are rarely seen on Galapagos, but the invasive
species of black rats are often spotted in areas where humans
inhabit.
Photo courtesy of CDF
Sea Cucumber:
The relative of the sea urchin and the starfish, the sea cucumber, is one of the few underwater
animals that are endangered in the Galapagos. There are three main types of sea cucumbers that
are found on the islands, and are now protected by the Galapagos Marine Reserve.
The Isotichopus fuscus is the first type of sea cucumber that is darker in color and lives in the
sea, in both shallow and deeper waters. Conversely, the other types of sea cucumbers, the
Stichopus horrens and the countless Holothuria species, do no live underwater, rather they
can be found on or near rocks. Interestingly enough, while the
Holothuria species can be easily found by observing the surface
of a rock, the S. Horrens species are more often found embedded
between the cracks of a rock.
However, at night the S. Horrens sea cucumbers emerge from the
dark crevices of the rocks and eat algae, sand, and waste materials
in the open.
In Asia, countless individuals export and eat the I. Fuscus as
a delicacy, causing the number of sea cucumbers to decline in
the Galapagos. The sea cucumbers fishing practices that were
legalized in 1999 also added to the decline of these three species.
Photo by Alex Hearn, CDF.
(4)
Sharks:
Some of the largest animals that call the
Galapagos Islands home are 27 species
of sharks, which can be classified into
three main groups. The first species is the
Whale Shark, which has a white spotted
pattern and is the largest fish in the world.
Although they are rare in the Galapagos, if
one is found, it would be located mainly in
open water. The second type of shark is the
Photo by Jack Grove
Hammerhead Shark, which is silver, grey and brown, with a white
underside. The Galapagos Islands is one of the few remaining
places where one can observe its strangely shaped head that is flattened and has the eyes on
the outer edges. The final group, the pointy nosed sharks, includes the Galapagos shark, Silky
sharks, white tipped sharks, black tipped sharks, and the reef sharks. These types of sharks have
rounded snouts and are the most commonly found throughout the Galapagos.
Galapagos sharks prey on fish, smaller sharks, rays, and are considered to be the top predator
the marine life food chain. However, these food chains are often become imbalanced because of
illegal shark fishing. Sharks are protected by the Galapagos Marine Reserve, but some people kill
sharks for their fins. Scientists are dedicated to completely
banning the fishing of sharks in order to balance the food
chains and protect one of the most elegant marine species
found in the Galapagos.
Waved Albatross:
The largest bird found in the Galapagos, the Waved Albatross,
ironically has difficulties initially becoming airborne. They are
named for the wavelike markings on its neck, and the Waved
Albatross is the only species of albatross which breeds in the
tropics—all others are found much farther south. When in flight,
its 2.35 meter wingspan allows it to be an extraordinary flyer;
however the Waved Albatross must use a complicated combination
of their web feet, the waves, and the wind in order to gain altitude.
Photo by Mike Keenan
Another unique characteristic of this species is that during the breeding ritual, which is
exclusively limited to Española Island, the Waved Albatross performs a three step performance
for viewers. The show includes a rapid bill clicking and bowing, beak clacking, and finally a
“whoo-oo” sound is emitted from an upturned bill. This fascinating mating dance produces not
a chick that is the same color as the parents, but the baby is initially a brown color.
Although the Waved Albatross is not yet endangered, it has become dangerously close and is
now labeled as being Vulnerable. If the species continues to steadily decrease because of issues
like water pollution and harvesting for human benefits, then it will be enlisted as endangered.
Scientists have been intensely working to prevent the further
decline of the population of this amazing animal.