Identification of Galápagos tortoise celebrated by scientists as a big deal for island’s biodiversity
Fernanda is probably 50 or older but is smaller than the typical giant tortoise, probably due to the lack of vegetation on the arid, volcanic island. This was one of the reasons scholars initially doubted Fernanda was a nativeZoologists also initially thought that the 1906 specimen must have been transplanted to Fernandina Island.
The discovery, however, suggests that however Fernanda got to the island, she might not have been alone, and that there could have been populations of the tortoise on the island at some point.Michael Russello , a biodiversity researcher at the University of British Columbia who was not involved in the study. “Fernandina is a challenging island to traverse, but this finding does suggest a comprehensive survey may be warranted to search for other individuals”, because there’s now “a glimmer of hope that the species may yet survive”.
Recent expeditions found the tracks of two or three other tortoises that could be from the same species, which, if confirmed, could spur local organizations to consider a captive breeding and repatriation program. “If we only have Fernanda, it’s exciting to have found her. But if she doesn’t have another tortoise to breed with, then there’s nowhere to go,” said Gaughran. “If there are at least a few of these tortoises still living on that island, then that opens up the possibility of trying to really revive the species.”
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