Photo by Dorothy Crum

The surviving population of giant tortoises numbers around 15,000, significantly reduced from the estimated former population of 200,000 before the arrival of man on the islands. There are eleven subspecies of giant tortoise, each occupying a unique geographic location within the archipelago. Their lifespan is not known precisely, but is thought to be up to 150 years. It is the giant tortoise that gives the islands their name: Galápago is an old Spanish word for “saddle” and some species of tortoise do bear a strong resemblance to old Spanish saddles. The species found on Santa Cruz are typical, however, of the dome-shaped tortoise.