Galápagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis niger).
Image: E bailey, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
- IUCN category
- VU · Vulnerable
- Animal group
- Reptiles & Amphibians
- Population trend
- Increasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Sources disagree — IUCN's 2017 global assessment says ExtinctChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The Galápagos giant tortoise is among the largest tortoises in the world and can live well over a century. The complex of forms is generally assessed as Vulnerable, with some island populations more imperilled.
Different islands evolved distinct shell shapes, which helped inspire ideas about evolution.
Range & habitat
The Galápagos Islands of Ecuador, with different forms on different islands.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Historical exploitation by sailors
- Introduced animals (goats, rats, pigs)
- Past habitat damage
Why it matters
An icon of the Galápagos and of evolutionary science, the giant tortoise is a flagship for island restoration and the removal of introduced species.
Gallery
Galápagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis niger complex).
Image: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
Sources for Galápagos Giant Tortoise
- IUCN Red List — look up Galápagos Giant Tortoise (authoritative status)
- Animal Diversity Web