daydaily

The Galapagos are a group of volcanic islands located 500 miles from the coast of Ecuador, in the Pacific Ocean. The islands’ remoteness across many millennia led to an isolation that created an abundance of endemic animal species found nowhere else on the planet. It was this variety of species that helped Charles Darwin to devise his theory of evolution after he had toured the islands on the voyage of HMS Beagle in 1835. It is the animals that still draw attention from the rest of the world today and Galapagos island holidays are in high demand. Many of the animals are almost tame, with no fear of humans, but many are also highly endangered. Here are just a few of the curious creatures of the Galapagos.

galapagos island

Chelenoids nigra: the Galapagos Tortoise The Giant Galapagos Tortoise is the largest tortoise in the world, reaching in excess of 400 kilograms in weight. This reptile is also one of the longest-lived vertebrates, routinely living well over 100 years. The Galapagos tortoise is an example of ‘island gigantism,’ where an abundance of food and lack of competition from other species causes an island-bound animal to reach enormous size. The introduction of livestock to the islands has caused a reduction in food availability that has led to the tortoises becoming endangered. One individual, named Lonesome George, is thought to be the last remaining example of his subspecies, the Pinta Island Tortoise and is therefore the rarest animal on the planet.

Geospiza Sp: Darwin’s Finches

Darwin’s Finches, also known as Galapagos Finches are a group of 14 finch species, famous for influencing Darwin’s theory. Darwin, who already had a penchant for finches, noted that the species that he found here were highly adapted to feed upon very specific food sources, due to the size and shape of their beaks. The most curious of the Galapagos Finches is the Vampire Finch, which has a pointed and very large beak. It uses this to drink blood from larger birds and this is thought to be an adaptation to the lack of water found on Wolf Island and Darwin Islands, where it lives.

Amblyrhynchs cristatus: the Marine Iguana This is the only iguana in the world to live in and around the ocean and is found along the shores of all of the islands. The Marine Iguana can dive in excess of ten metres deep and feeds on algae found offshore. As an exothermic animal, receiving most of its heat from its surroundings, it must routinely bask on the rocks in the heat of the sun after a dive. Unfortunately, this makes it vulnerable to introduced predators such as dogs and cats because it cannot run away when cold, which is why this unique creature has become threatened.

Spheniscus mendiculus: the Galapagos Penguin This is the only penguin to be found near the equator and lives solely on the Galapagos archipelago. Being so warm, conditions in these islands are at the very extremes of what a penguin can withstand and the Galapagos Penguin has to take regular dips in the water to stay cool. Getting enough fish and molluscs to eat is also a challenge, especially with the added pressures of local commercial fishing. As a result, the Galapagos Penguin does not breed every year and it is now the rarest penguin in the world.

This guest post was contributed by Leyla, an aspiring blogger with a passion for exotic travel. She is currently writing on behalf of Tribes Travel, an award-winning fair trade travel company specialising in independent tailor made travel.

Related posts:

1. 5 Reasons Why Smaller Cruise Holidays to the Pacific Islands are Not as Expensive as they Might Appear It is all too easy to think Sydney Harbour cruises...
2. Wildlife Art complements wildlife conservation Wildlife Art is an expression of artists by way of...
3. tips travel or backpacking to indonesia The Republic of Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the...
4. karimunjawa island | an exotic bay in middle java indonesia Karimunjawa is a 27 island archipelago in the Java sea...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.