Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise

About the Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise

Chelonoidis niger guentheri, commonly known as the Sierra Negra giant tortoise or Günther's giant tortoise, is a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise endemic to the Galápagos archipelago in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The specific epithet guentheri honours zoologist Albert Günther.

This tortoise is a subspecies of Chelonoidis niger, and is sometimes considered a distinct species. Male tortoises grow to about 120 cm (47 in) and females to about 92 cm (36 in) in length and may have either domed or flattened carapaces.

The tortoises graze on shrubs and low-growing herbaceous vegetation, consuming herbs, grass, cacti, lichens, and fruit. Male tortoises compete with each other by extending their necks, gaping, biting and shell-bumping. They produce loud guttural noises while mating. Females lay clutches of usually 6–11 (occasionally up to 17) eggs. Juvenile tortoises tend to remain in the warmer, lowland, part of the subspecies' range for the first 10–15 years of their lives.

The tortoise's range is limited to an area of about 800 km2 (310 sq mi) on the slopes of the Sierra Negra volcano... Wikipedia →