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A single female of the Fernandina Island tortoise subspecies of Galapagos tortoise was thought to be extinct for a century has been found in the Galapagos Islands
About Fernandina Island Tortoise
- Fernandina Island Tortoise is a subspecies of Galapagos Tortoise Species that was discovered in 1906 and thought extinct
- Common Name: Fernandina Island Tortoise
- Scientific Name: Chelonoidis niger phantasticus
- Discoveries
- 1906: Originally known from only one male specimen found (and killed) by members of the California Academy of Sciences expedition
- 1964 and 2013: discoveries of putative tortoise droppings and cactus bite marks
- 2009: an unconfirmed sighting
- However, no confirmed live tortoises or even remains were discovered on Fernandina and the species is thought to be extinct.
- ReDiscoveries
- 2019: The discovery of a female tortoise living on the island provided the opportunity to determine if the species lives on
Galapagos Tortoise
- tortoise species endemic to the Galapagos Island
- Scientific Name: Chelonoidis niger
- Subspecies:
- It has at least 14, and possibly as many as 16, subspecies.
- Only 12 subspecies now exist
- Recently discovered Fernandina Island tortoise was a subspecies of Galapagos Tortoise
- Where was it found?
- Galapagos Islands
- Santiago Island
- San Cristóbal Island
- Pinzón Island
- Española island
- Fernandina Island
- Santa Cruz Island
- Isabela Island (Largest island of the Galápagos)
- Pinta Island
- Floreana Island
Galapagos National Park
- It was created in 1959 and it was the first national park of Ecuador.
- The Galápagos Islands were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.
Galapagos Islands
- Part of the Republic of Ecuador, is an archipelago of volcanic islands.
- They are distributed on either side of the equator in the Pacific Ocean, surrounding the centre of the Western Hemisphere.
Content Source – Indian Express