Harriet is one of the longest-lived known tortoises, behind Tu'i Malila, who died in 1965 at the age of 188, and possibly Adwaita, who died in 2006 at an estimated age of between 150 and 255 years. In 1977, a third Española male tortoise was returned to Galapagos from the San Diego Zoo and joined the breeding group.Species were described from two other islands, but their existence is based on scant evidence. Since then, we’ve had 94 successful hatchings at our Zoo.One of our tortoises, a large male named Gerty, participated in the making of the 1941 movie Currently, our tortoise herd numbers 12 individuals, representing at least five subspecies. Although visitors are allowed on the islands, these visits are strictly regulated. Because they are cold-blooded like other reptiles, they like to soak in the sun to warm up. "Small groups of finches initiate the process by hopping on the ground in an exaggerated fashion facing the tortoise. The original tortoises sent to the San Diego Zoo (yes, 9 of them are still with us!) Young tortoises are raised at several breeding centres across the islands to improve their survival during their vulnerable early development. I was always amused, when overtaking one of these great monsters as it was quietly pacing along, to see how suddenly, the instant I passed, it would draw in its head and legs, and uttering a deep hiss fall to the ground with a heavy sound, as if struck dead. Modern Galápagos tortoises can weigh up to 417 kg (919 lb). In 2020, Diego's "retirement" from the breeding program was announced, and plans were underway for him to be reintroduced to habitat on Espanola Island.In 2012, renowned geneticist Oliver Ryder, Ph.D., was invited to an international workshop on the Galápagos Islands to plan the next 10 years of Galápagos tortoise conservation efforts. It is widely accepted that the population living on the northernmost volcano, Volcan Wolf, is genetically independent from the four populations to the south and is therefore a separate species.Phylogenetic analysis may help to "resurrect" the extinct species of Floreana (Mitochondrial DNA studies of tortoises on Santa Cruz show up to three genetically distinct lineages found in nonoverlapping population distributions around the regions of Cerro Montura, Cerro Fatal, and La Caseta.In 2015, the Cerro Fatal tortoises were described as a distinct taxon, When it was discovered that the central, small island of Pinzón had only 100–200 very old adults and no young tortoises had survived into adulthood for perhaps more than 70 years, the resident scientists initiated what would eventually become the Giant Tortoise Breeding and Rearing Program. He lived to be an estimated 150 years old.When we make jokes about tortoises being slow, we mean slow! Galápagos tortoises can retain a great amount of water, which allows them to survive the long dry season on the islands.Temperature plays a role in whether a tortoise hatchling is male or female: if the nest temperature is low, more males hatch; if it is high, more females hatch. Whoever reaches the highest wins, even if he is much smaller overall than the other male! According to … Try wearing your brightest clothing, and see if you get the attention of a Galápagos tortoise!When pirates, whaling ships, and merchantmen came through the Galápagos Islands from the 17th through 19th centuries, sailors loaded the large tortoises on their ships to use for food during the rest of their long voyage. The Giant Tortoises are thought to belong to just one species, Geochelone elephantopus,with 14 different races or sub-species, four of which are believed to be extinct. Since then, Diego is believed to have fathered 40 percent of the more than 1,980 young tortoises produced in this successful program. The loser pulls his head in with a noisy hiss, and the battle is over.