''Chelonoidis niger duncanensis'', commonly known as the Pinzón Island giant tortoise, is a
subspecies
In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...
of
Galápagos tortoise endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to
Pinzón Island in the
Galápagos.
Population history
Although relatively undisturbed by whalers, fairly large numbers of tortoises were removed by expeditions in the latter half of the 19th century and the early 20th. After the introduction of
black rats (''Rattus rattus'') and
brown rat
The brown rat (''Rattus norvegicus''), also known as the common rat, street rat, sewer rat, wharf rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat and Norwegian rat, is a widespread species of common rat. One of the largest Muroidea, muroids, it is a brown or grey ...
s (''Rattus norvegicus'')
[Rat eradication program begins in Galapagos Islands](_blank)
''Scientific American''. (Accessed 2012-01-14.) some time before 1900, no natural breeding succeeded. Since 1965, eggs have been transported to the Charles Darwin Research Station for hatching and rearing. Over 75% of those released between 1970 and 1990 survived.
[Cayot 1994. ''Conservation biology of Galápagos reptiles: twenty-five years of successful research and management.'' In: J. B. Murphy, K. Adler, and J. T. Collins (eds.). Captive Management and Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles, pp. 297–305. Ithaca, New York: Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Contributions to Herpetology. vol. 11. .] There are currently around known individuals, which live in the southwestern side of
Pinzón Island.
Description
This saddle-backed species is one of the smallest of the Galápagos tortoises. Its brownish-gray, oblong carapace has only a very shallow cervical indentation, the anterior marginals little to much upturned, and the slightly serrated posterior marginals flared and upturned. The carapace is usually compressed or narrowed anteriorly.
References
* Pritchard, 1996 : ''The Galápagos Tortoises: Nomenclatural and Survival Status.'' Chelonian Research Monographs, No. 1, .
Chelonoidis
Subspecies
Taxa named by Samuel Garman
Endemic reptiles of the Galápagos Islands
Reptiles described in 1917
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