Hood Island giant tortoise
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Testudinoidea
Family: Testudinidae
Genus: Chelonoidis
Species:
C. niger
Subspecies:
C. n. hoodensis
Trinomial name
Chelonoidis niger hoodensis
Synonyms
  • Testudo hoodensis Van Denburgh, 1907
  • Geochelone nigra hoodensis (Van Denburgh, 1907)

The Hood Island giant tortoise (Chelonoidis niger hoodensis)[1] is a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise endemic to Española Island in the Galápagos.

Population history

This population was very heavily exploited by whalers in the 19th century and collapsed around 1850. 13 adults were found in the early 1970s and held at the Charles Darwin Research Station as a breeding colony. The two males and 11 females were initially brought to the Darwin Station. Fortuitously, a third male (Diego) was discovered at the San Diego Zoo and joined the others in a captive breeding program. Mating had not occurred naturally for some time, because the individuals were so scattered that they did not meet. Following the successful captive breeding program, large numbers have been released back into the wild and are now breeding on their own with the population reaching over 2,300 individuals as of August, 2020.[4]

Description

It is one of the smallest subspecies of Galápagos tortoise. Its black, saddle-backed carapace has a deep cervical indentation, the anterior rim only weakly upturned, and posterior marginals downturned and slightly serrated. It is narrow anteriorly and wider posteriorly.

Etymology

Its subspecies name, composed of hood and the Latin suffix -ensis: "who lives in", was given in reference to the place of its discovery, Española Island, which is also called Hood Island.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Cayot, L.J.; Gibbs, J.P.; Tapia, W.; Caccone, A. (2017). "Chelonoidis hoodensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T9024A82777079. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T9024A82777079.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ↑ Van Denburgh, John (1907). "Preliminary descriptions of four new races of gigantic land tortoises from the Galapagos Islands". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 4th series. 1: 1–6.
  4. ↑ Gibbs; Hunter; Torres-Carvajal; Shoemaker; Tapia; Cayot (2014). "Demographic Outcomes and Ecosystem Implications of Giant Tortoise Reintroduction to Española Island, Galapagos". PLOS ONE. 9 (11): e114048. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...9k0742G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0110742. PMC 4211691. PMID 25350744.
  • Van Denburgh, 1907 : Expedition of the California Academy of Sciences to the Galapagos Islands, 1905–1906. I. Preliminary descriptions of four new races of gigantic land tortoises from the Galapagos Islands. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, ser. 4, vol. 1, p. 1–6 (texte intégral).
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