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| Classification (HAGRID: 04081) | |
| Taxonomy | Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia (Taxon entry) Order: Testudines (Taxon entry) Family: Testudinidae Genus: Geochelone |
| Species | Geochelone nigra |
| Common name | Galapagos tortoise |
| Synonyms | Geochelone elephantopus |
Lifespan, ageing, and relevant traits | |
| Maximum longevity | 177 years (captivity) |
| Source | ref. 451 |
| Sample size | medium |
| Data quality | acceptable |
| Observations | Galapagos tortoises are long-lived and may feature negligible senescence. They appear to take around 20 years to become sexually mature and can grow for several decades. There are many records of animals living over 60-70 years in captivity. In 1928, Charles Townsend of the New York Zoological Society imported several animals, many of which are still alive in North American zoos [0451]. Anecdotal evidence suggests these animals may live over 100 years, including one record of 177 years [0543], which seems plausible. "Harriet," a specimen allegedly collected from the Galapagos Islands by Charles Darwin, was estimated to be about 176 years old when she died in 2006 at the Australia Zoo in Queensland. |
Life history traits (averages) | |
| No information is available on life history. | |
Metabolism | |
| No information on metabolism available. | |
References |
|
[0014] Leonard Hayflick (1994), How and Why We Age | |
External resources | |
| Integrated Taxonomic Information System | ITIS 551778 |
| Animal Diversity Web | ADW account |
| Encyclopedia of Life | Search EOL |
| Genome Project | Search NCBI |
| Entrez | |
| Ageing literature | |
| Images | Google Image search |
| Internet | Search Google |
If you find any missing or incorrect data, please contact us.