A species of giant tortoises believed to have been extinct for more than a century has been rediscovered on the Galapagos Island of Fernandina. The discovered reptile is an adult female, suspected to be more than 100 years old. The species is unique to the Fernandina Island, one of the many dozen in the famous archipelago known for its biodiversity, which helped give birth to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. The discovery will encourage conservationists to strengthen their search plans to find other turtles, which will allow them to start a breeding program to recover this species that has been critically endangered under human exploitation and threats from invasive species.
Tortoise believed extinct for 100 years rediscovered on remote Galapagos island
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