Galapagos Islands News

Because the Galapagos Islands were isolated for so long, the plants and animals that live there branched off into their own evolutionary trees and many of these creatures are endemic, or found nowhere else on earth. When man first came to the Galapagos, each of these species had found their ecological niche. Unfortunately, humans changed the Galapagos ecosystem, hunting some animals and introducing others such as goats, pigs and cats. Other animals, such as rats, were not deliberately released into Galapagos, but came with man anyway. Today, many of the endemic Galapagos animal species are considered at-risk, mainly due to introduced species and habitat loss. Here are some endangered species and what’s being done to protect them.

The Pinta Island Giant Tortoise

This is the most obvious and well-known case of an at-risk Galapagos species: there is only one individual left! Researchers thought that whalers and hunters had killed all of the Pinta Island tortoise subspecies when “Lonesome George” was discovered in the early 1970’s. Today, Lonesome George is living at the Charles Darwin Research Station, where scientists hope to someday find him a mate.

The Galapagos Pink Iguana

It was only in 2009 that it was conclusively proved that a large pink iguana with black stripes found in a remote corner of Isabela Island is, in fact, a new species only distantly related to the marine and land iguanas common in the islands. As of yet, not too much is known about the pink iguanas, but it is certain that they only live on Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island, which makes them vulnerable to an eruption or other localized natural disaster. They are also at risk from feral dogs and cats, although goats have been mostly removed from the area. Scientists from the Charles Darwin Research Station and other institutions are working to learn more about the iguanas in order to better protect them.

The Santa Fe Land Iguana

There are two varieties of land iguana in Galapagos: the more common one, found on most central and western islands, and the Santa Fe Islands subspecies, which is yellower and has longer dorsal spikes. Both species are considered vulnerable, and the smaller Santa Fe population much more so. Introduced species such as dogs and cats doomed the land iguana populations on Santiago, Baltra and southern Isabela Islands. Scientists have been successfully breeding iguanas for release and efforts are under way to remove invasive species from iguana habitats.

The Galapagos Rice Rat

One of the very few species of mammal endemic to Galapagos, the rice rat is a small brown rodent that once inhabited several islands. It eats grasses, seeds and fruit and prefers dry, flat lands with little vegetation. Introduced species such as the black rat and cats have been very hard on the Galapagos rice rats, and three of the six subspecies are now extinct, with only the Santa Fe, Santiago and Fernandina rats remaining. For a time, the Santiago subspecies was also thought to be extinct and the population there is still highly endangered. Park rangers have been aggressively trying to save the rice rat, relocating populations to islets free of other rat species and devising traps that will catch the larger, more aggressive black rats but not the timid rice rats.

The Galapagos Land Snail

Visitors to Galapagos never pay much attention to the tiny snails that lurk on leaves or in the shade, but scientists consider them a marvel. There are some 57 subspecies of Galapagos land snail and researchers believe that they all evolved from one common ancestor!

Unfortunately, almost all of these 57 species are considered at risk for extinction. Introduced species such as rats and fire ants eat the snails and goats and donkeys destroy the vegetation that is their home. Also, introduced plants can take over vast areas, depriving the snails of endemic plants they adapted to and use for food or homes.

Researchers are working to restore their habitat, trying to eliminate introduced plant and animal species.