AnAge entry for Chelonoidis nigra
Classification (HAGRID: 03769)
- Taxonomy
-
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia (Taxon entry)
Order: Testudines (Taxon entry)
Family: Testudinidae
Genus: Chelonoidis
- Species
- Chelonoidis nigra
- Common name
- Galapagos tortoise
- Synonyms
- Geochelone nigra, Testudo californiana, Testudo galapagoensis
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. These animals have a very low level of genetic polymorphism and weakened purifying selection, possibly in response to changing environmental conditions and elongated lifespan [1171].
Life history traits (averages)
- No information is available on life history. Please contact us if you wish to suggest or contribute data.
Metabolism
No information on metabolism is available.
References
- [1171] Loire et al. (2013), Population genomics of the endangered giant Galapagos tortoise (PubMed)
- [0014] Leonard Hayflick (1994), How and Why We Age
- [0013] Alex Comfort (1979), Ageing: The Biology of Senescence
- [0543] Nigrelli (1954), Some longevity records for vertebrates
- [0451] Frank & Kate's Web Page
External Resources
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System
- ITIS 949447
- Animal Diversity Web
- ADW account (if available)
- Encyclopaedia of Life
- Search EOL
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Entrez
- Search all databases
- Ageing Literature
- Search Google Scholar or Search PubMed
- Images
- Google Image search
- Internet
- Search Google