Chapter 2 - Galapagos tortoises: Protagonists in the spectacle of life on Earth

Abstract

The tortoises of Galapagos are vestiges of a once impressive, widely distributed lineage of land tortoises that declined during the period when humans expanded across the planet. Galapagos tortoises are remarkable for many reasons. They include the greatest number of surviving giant tortoises anywhere, with diverse morphological forms. These tortoises, ensconced in their island refuges, have persisted through global tortoise catastrophe, although 3 of the 15 putative species are now extinct, and surviving species are under varying levels of threat. Tortoises have played diverse ecological roles in various ecosystems around the world, often acting as ecological engineers, Through long-term, ongoing conservation efforts several populations of Galapagos tortoise species are beginning to recuperate, and many are expected to recover to the point of population self-sufficiency. Some tortoise populations may return to being the dominant herbivore within their native range.