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Tortoises are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines. Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like other members of the suborder Cryptodira, they retract their necks and heads directly backward into the shell to protect them.
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands in the Eastern Pacific, located around the Equator 900 km (560 mi) west of South America. They form the Galápagos Province of the Republic of Ecuador, with a population of slightly over 33,000 (2020). The province is divided into the cantons of San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, and Isabela, the three most populated islands in the chain. The Galápagos are famous for their large number of endemic species, which were studied by Charles Darwin in the 1830s and inspired his theory of evolution by means of natural selection. All of these islands are protected as part of Ecuador's Galápagos National Park and Marine Reserve.
Giant tortoises are any of several species of various large land tortoises, which include a number of extinct species, as well as two extant species with multiple subspecies formerly common on the islands of the western Indian Ocean and on the Galápagos Islands.
The Houston Zoo is a 55-acre (22 ha) zoological park located within Hermann Park in Houston, Texas, United States. The zoo houses over 6,000 animals from more than 900 species. It receives around 2 million visitors each year and is the second most visited zoo in the United States, surpassed only by the San Diego Zoo. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
The Pinta Island tortoise, also known as the Pinta giant tortoise, Abingdon Island tortoise, or Abingdon Island giant tortoise, is a recently extinct subspecies of Galápagos tortoise native to Ecuador's Pinta Island.
In paleontology, a Lazarus taxon is a taxon that disappears for one or more periods from the fossil record, only to appear again later. Likewise in conservation biology and ecology, it can refer to species or populations that were thought to be extinct, and are rediscovered. The term Lazarus taxon was coined by Karl W. Flessa and David Jablonski in 1983 and was then expanded by Jablonski in 1986. Paul Wignall and Michael Benton defined Lazarus taxa as, "At times of biotic crisis many taxa go extinct, but others only temporarily disappeared from the fossil record, often for intervals measured in millions of years, before reappearing unchanged". Earlier work also supports the concept though without using the name Lazarus taxon, like work by Christopher R. C. Paul.
The Zoo Zürich is a zoo located in Zürich, Switzerland. It is considered one of the best zoos in Europe. Opened in 1929, it is the third oldest zoo in Switzerland and it accumulated a collection of 2,200 specimens of 300 species by its seventy-fifth year. It is located on Zürichbergstrasse, on the lower reaches of the Zürichberg in the Fluntern quarter.
Fernandina Island is the youngest and third largest island in the Galapagos, as well as the furthest west. It has an area of 642 km2 (248 sq mi) and a height of 1,476 m (4,843 ft), with a summit caldera about 6.5 km (4.0 mi) wide. It is younger than Isabela, being only less than one million years old since its formation. Like the other islands, it was formed by the Galápagos hotspot. The island is an active shield volcano that has most recently erupted in March 2024.
The Galápagos Islands are located off the west coast of South America straddling the equator. The Galápagos are located at the confluence of several currents including the cold Humboldt Current traveling north from South America and the Panama Current traveling south from Central America make the islands cooler and provide the perfect environment for the unique mix of wildlife that inhabits the islands.
The American Species Survival Plan or SSP program was developed in 1981 by the (American) Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums, most of which are threatened or endangered in the wild.
The Galápagos tortoise or Galápagos giant tortoise is a very large species of tortoise in the genus Chelonoidis. The species comprises 15 subspecies. It is the largest living species of tortoise, and can weigh up to 417 kg (919 lb). They are also the largest extant terrestrial cold-blooded animals (ectotherms).
The Zanzibar leopard is an African leopard population on Unguja Island in the Zanzibar archipelago, Tanzania, that is considered extirpated due to persecution by local hunters and loss of habitat. It was the island's largest terrestrial carnivore and apex predator. Increasing conflict between people and leopards in the 20th century led to the demonization of the Zanzibar leopard and determined attempts to exterminate it. Efforts to develop a leopard conservation program in the mid-1990s were shelved when wildlife researchers concluded that there was little prospect for the population's long-term survival. In 2018, a leopard was recorded by a camera trap, thus renewing hopes for the population's survival, although some experts remain skeptical.
The spectacled caiman, also known as the white caiman, common caiman, and speckled caiman, is a crocodilian in the family Alligatoridae. It is brownish-, greenish-, or yellowish-gray colored and has a spectacle-like ridge between its eyes, which is where its common name come from. It grows to a length of 1.4–2.5 m and a weight of 7–40 kg (15–88 lb), with males being both longer and heavier than females. Its diet varies seasonally, commonly consisting of crabs, fish, small mammals, amphibians and snails. Breeding occurs from May to August and 14–40 eggs are laid in July and August. This crocodilian has a large range and population; it is native to much of Latin America, and has been introduced to the United States, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.
Barcelona Zoo is a zoo in the Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The zoo used to be internationally known as the home of Snowflake, the only known albino gorilla, who died in 2003.
Chelonoidis is a genus of turtles in the tortoise family erected by Leopold Fitzinger in 1835. They are found in South America and the Galápagos Islands, and formerly had a wide distribution in the West Indies.
Chelonoidis niger phantasticus is a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise that was discovered in 1906 and thought extinct, until a single female was discovered living on Fernandina Island by an expedition in February 2019. In May 2021, a genetic test carried out by scientists from the California Academy of Sciences confirmed that the single female tortoise discovered in 2019 is from the subspecies Chelonoidis niger phantasticus. The subspecies name has often been misspelled as phantastica, an error introduced in the 1980s when Chelonoidis was elevated to genus and mistakenly treated as feminine, an error recognized and fixed in 2017.
Forrest Galante is an American wildlife biologist, outdoor adventurer and television personality. He primarily seeks out animals on the brink of extinction. He is the host of the television shows Extinct or Alive on Animal Planet and "Mysterious Creatures with Forrest Galante," as well as multiple Shark Week shows.
Giant tortoises are any of various large land tortoises
References
- ↑ "Animal Planet's 'Extinct or Alive' TV special stars Coast Union grad". sanluisobispo. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
- 1 2 "Animal Planet's 'Extinct or Alive' Actually Finds Its First 'Extinct' Species Alive During Filming". www.thewrap.com. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
- ↑ "Animal Planet Greenlights New Series 'Extinct or Alive' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
- 1 2 "An Elusive Shark Lost For 40 Years Was Just Rediscovered By Extinct or Alive's Adventurer Forrest Galante". Newsweek. 2 August 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
- 1 2 "Extinct or Alive The Legendary Cape Lion". Animal Planet. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- 1 2 "Extinct or Alive Madagascar Dwarf Hippo". Animal Planet. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
- 1 2 "Extinct or Alive The Hidden Turtle of Vietnam". Animal Planet. Retrieved 2019-04-12.
- 1 2 "Believed Extinct Rio Apaporis Caiman Rediscovered". Discovery. Retrieved 2019-04-12.
- 1 2 "Shark Not Seen Over 100 Years Rediscovered". Newsweek. 10 August 2020.
- ↑ Li, J. "Zanzibar Leopard Captured on Camera, Despite Being Declared Extinct". Inside Edition. Retrieved 2018-08-16.
- ↑ "Lost Pondicherry Shark Swims into the Spotlight During Discovery Channel's Shark Week". Global Wildlife Conservation. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
- ↑ "Not seen for 100 years, a rare Galápagos tortoise was considered all but extinct – until now". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-02-21.
- ↑ "Marcelo Mata on Twitter" . Retrieved 2019-02-20.
- ↑ "Tortoise Feared Extinct Found on Remote Galapagos Island". The New York Times. Associated Press. 2019-02-20. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-02-21.
- ↑ Wight, Andrew (4 March 2020). "In the Bombast of an American TV Host, Colonial Science Lives On". Undark. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
- ↑ "In the bombast of an American TV host, colonial science lives on". Salon. 8 March 2020.
- ↑ Mayer, Lindsay Renick. "Rediscovery of 'Lost' Caiman Leads to New Crocodylian Mystery". Global Wildlife Conservation. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ↑ "Amazon.com: Watch Extinct or Alive Season 2". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ↑ "Amazon.com: Watch Shark Week 2019". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2019-10-20.
- ↑ "Discovery.com - Extinct or Alive: Land of the Lost Sharks". Discovery.com. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
