Galápagos giant tortoises are in serious trouble—centuries of exploitation and modern threats have severely reduced their numbers. While the total population has rebounded thanks to conservation efforts, most of the 12 remaining species are still classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their population across the islands is estimated to be around 25,000 to 27,000 individuals, a significant drop from the historical estimate of over 200,000.
Major Threats
The dramatic decline of the Galápagos giant tortoise population was initially caused by mass hunting by buccaneers, whalers, and sealers for meat and oil in the 17th to 19th centuries. Today, ongoing threats include:
Invasive Species: Introduced animals like pigs, rats, and dogs prey on tortoise eggs and vulnerable young hatchlings, while goats and cattle compete for food and damage habitat.
Habitat Loss and Fragmentation: Expanding human settlements and agriculture lead to the destruction of habitat and the building of fences and roads that block their traditional migration routes.
Poaching: Tortoises are still illegally hunted for their meat or captured for the illegal pet trade.
Some Facts About Galápagos Giant Tortoises in the Wild
Habitat: They live on the volcanic Galápagos Islands, in environments ranging from semi-arid scrub and grassland in the lowlands to moist forests in the highlands. They often bask in the sun and wallow in mud or puddles.
Diet: Galápagos tortoises are herbivores. They eat a variety of vegetation, including grasses, leaves, flowers, berries, and prickly pear cactus. They can survive for up to a year without food or water by storing large reserves.
Physical Traits: They are the largest tortoises in the world, with some males weighing up to 400 kg (880 lbs). Their shell shape varies by species; domed shells are found on islands with lush vegetation, while saddleback shells allow tortoises to stretch their necks higher to reach sparse food in dry areas.
Role in the Ecosystem: As keystone species, they break up dense vegetation, aerate the soil, and act as important seed dispersers through their droppings, helping to shape the island's plant communities.
Our Charity Partner: Galapagos Conservancy
Rewilding Giant Tortoises
Giant tortoises in the Galápagos Islands have been the focus of one of the most successful endangered species rewilding efforts in history. Over the last 60 years, more than 9,000 have been reared in captivity and released to the wild to reverse the decimation of populations caused by centuries of exploitation. As “ecosystem engineers,” these endemic mega-herbivores have restorative impacts on the terrestrial ecosystems and biological diversity of Galápagos. Despite this progress, today’s Galápagos giant tortoise populations are still just 10% of their historical numbers and occupy only 35% of available habitat. Alongside our partner the Galápagos National Park Directorate, our goal in the coming decades is to restore giant tortoise populations to their historical range and numbers across the archipelago via our program Iniciativa Galápagos (formerly known as the Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative).
