Galapagos Giant Tortoise

The giant tortoise is the most popularly known of the Galapagos's wildlife. This individual--a mature male, with a shell close to a meter in length--was on Floreana Island. He was yawning, not roaring--they are almost soundless.

We were visiting an enclosure where tortoises from various islands are kept. (We also saw numerous tortoises the previous day, in the highlands of Santa Cruz Islands, entirely in the wild.) Tortoises can live at least 150 years, although not much is yet known reliably about their lifespan, since systematic observation goes back much less far.

(Backblipped--for an overview, see 20 July)