If you choose to get a tortoise as a pet, you should seriously consider the animal’s chance to outlive you. Tortoises are fantastic creatures, and one of the reasons is that they have a lifespan between 50 and 100 years.
Even nowadays, scientists still discover new tortoise species out there in the wild. ScienceAlert.com now tells the world about a newly-discovered species of tortoises, and it’s a really big one (literally speaking).
New giant tortoise species is found in the Galapagos Islands from the Pacific
For those who skipped geography lessons, it’s good to know that the Galápagos Islands represent an archipelago from the Pacific Ocean. The discovery of the new tortoise species comes after DNA testing was initiated, although the animal itself is most probably extinct.
Tortoises living on San Cristobal were found to be different from bones and shells collected about a century ago from the island’s highlands.
NOTICIA | La especie de tortuga gigante que habita la isla San Cristóbal, hasta ahora conocida científicamente como Chelonoidis chathamensis, corresponde genéticamente a una especie diferente, que se creía extinta desde inicios del siglo XX.
Lee más ➡️ https://t.co/9LlSNGK3Dg pic.twitter.com/trjjJpMl6K— Ministerio Ambiente, Agua y Transición Ecológica (@Ambiente_Ec) March 11, 2022
As translated into English, it says:
The species of giant tortoise that inhabits San Cristobal Island, until now known scientifically as Chelonoidis chathamensis, genetically matches a different species.
The Galapagos Islands Archipelago is considered one of the foremost destinations on the planet when it comes to wildlife viewing. It covers an area of 8,010 square kilometers. Back in 2010, it was known that 25,000 people were living in the Galapagos Islands.
The Pacific archipelago was visited by Charles Darwin in 1835. As expected, his visit, along with his observation of numerous species, inspired the famous theory of evolution.
Another impressive fact about tortoises, in general, is that these creatures are capable of living in pretty much any environment. You can find tortoises across all continents except for Antarctica.
Tortoises have also been around for more than 200 million years, which makes them older than birds, snakes, crocodiles, and more.
