Galápagos Giant Tortoise

Tortoises Native to the Pacific

Today, there are two species of giant tortoises: the Seychelles giant tortoise and the Galápagos giant tortoise, which can weigh between 100 and 200 kg, with world records reaching 300 or even 400 kg.

The latter colonized the Galápagos archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, more than 1,000 km west of the South American coast off Ecuador.

Subject of Darwin’s Studies

The Galápagos giant tortoises are emblematic of this volcanic archipelago. These reptiles played a key role in Charles Darwin’s studies on evolution.

It is worth noting that these tortoises have different shell shapes depending on the islands they inhabit, reflecting their adaptation to specific environments. For instance, some have saddle-shaped shells to facilitate neck extension for reaching high vegetation.

Another interesting fact is that these tortoises can store water and use it during droughts. This adaptation has allowed them to survive in arid environments where water is scarce.

Unfortunately, their size and slow movement made them vulnerable to hunting by sailors in past centuries, significantly reducing their population. Today, efforts are underway to protect and restore their numbers in the archipelago.

Exceptional Birth of a Galápagos Tortoise

In Corsica, the A Cupulatta park housed two specimens of Galápagos giant tortoises from the subspecies Chelonoidis nigra becki, weighing approximately 170 kg each. These male tortoises were entrusted to the park in October 2000 by the Zurich Zoo. In 2021, the zoo entrusted them with a female Galápagos tortoise weighing 96 kg.

Three years later, a surprise and a first in France: a Galápagos tortoise was born at A Cupulatta park. This extremely rare event attracted significant media attention, including this report from BFMTV and coverage in Corse Matin.

Click here to discover and visit the A Cupulatta tortoise park near Ajaccio.

A Tortoise Named Darwin

This 90-gram hatchling was welcomed as great news worldwide, as the species is endangered. The park decided to name it Darwin, in homage to the British naturalist whose work on evolution was greatly advanced by this particular tortoise species.

It is worth noting that the gender of these reptiles cannot be determined immediately. Currently, it is unknown whether Darwin is male or female, and it may take several years to find out.