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Chelonoidis chathamensis

Chelonoidis chathamensis

(Van Denburgh, 1907)
Tortuga Gigante de San Cristóbal

Family: Testudinidae
Order: Testudines
Class: Reptilia
Phylum / Division: Chordata
Kingdom: Animalia

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Records from Isla San Cristóbal


Description


Chelonoidis niger chathamensis, commonly known as the Chatham Island giant tortoise or the San Cristóbal giant tortoise, is a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise endemic to San Cristóbal Island in the Galápagos.

Population history: The subspecies was heavily exploited and eliminated over much of its original range. Trampling of nests by feral donkeys, and the predation of hatchlings by feral dogs decimated populations, but the breeding program has led to successful releases.

Fencing of nests and dog eradication in the 1970s helped in the population recovery.

Their population is thought to have dropped to as low as 500-700 individuals in the 1970s, and was around 24,000 prior to human contact. In a census conducted in November 2016, the population was found to be making a rapid recovery. A total of around 6,700 individuals were found, with around 2,700 mature adults and 3,750 juveniles.

Breeding centers such as the Galapaguera of Cerro Colorado were established in order to encourage captive reproduction of the endangered Galapagos tortoise. They were then released in their areas of origin to recover the wild populations.

 It has a wide, black shell, its shape intermediate between the saddle-backed and domed subspecies: adult males are rather saddle-backed, but females and young males are wider in the middle and more domed. A now-extinct, more flat-shelled form occurred throughout the wetter and higher regions of the island most altered by man when the island was colonized. The type specimen was from this extinct population, so it is possible that the subspecies currently designated C. n. chathamensis is mistakenly applied.

Source: Wikipedia, article Chelonoidis chathamensis. Content adapted from Wikipedia, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Accessed on 18/07/2026.





Geographic distribution


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Species photographs

Last published photographs

Foto
Photography ID: 560860
  Adult

Isla San Cristóbal
Islas Galápagos
Ecuador
10/18/2023
Alejandra Pons
Foto
Photography ID: 543603
  Adult

Isla San Cristóbal
Islas Galápagos
Ecuador
07/24/2023
Jorge La Grotteria
Foto
Photography ID: 543602
  Adult

Isla San Cristóbal
Islas Galápagos
Ecuador
07/24/2023
Jorge La Grotteria
Foto
Photography ID: 543601
  Adult

Isla San Cristóbal
Islas Galápagos
Ecuador
07/24/2023
Jorge La Grotteria



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 Detail of places sorted by number of records








Page 1
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
193304318/10/2023EcuadorIslas GalápagosGalapaguera Cerro Colorado, Isla San CristóbalAlejandra Pons
182482724/07/2023EcuadorIslas GalápagosCentro de Crianza de Tortugas Gigantes, Isla San Cristóbal1Lucio La Grotteria
182478024/07/2023EcuadorIslas GalápagosCentro de Crianza de Tortugas Gigantes, Isla San Cristóbal7Lucio La Grotteria
182478124/07/2023EcuadorIslas GalápagosCentro de Crianza de Tortugas Gigantes, Isla San Cristóbal14Lucio La Grotteria
182478224/07/2023EcuadorIslas GalápagosCentro de Crianza de Tortugas Gigantes, Isla San Cristóbal1Lucio La Grotteria
179772324/07/2023EcuadorIslas GalápagosCentro de Crianza de Tortugas Gigantes, Isla San Cristóbal1Jorge La Grotteria
179711624/07/2023EcuadorIslas GalápagosCentro de Crianza de Tortugas Gigantes, Isla San Cristóbal14Jorge La Grotteria
179711724/07/2023EcuadorIslas GalápagosCentro de Crianza de Tortugas Gigantes, Isla San Cristóbal1Jorge La Grotteria
179711524/07/2023EcuadorIslas GalápagosCentro de Crianza de Tortugas Gigantes, Isla San Cristóbal7Jorge La Grotteria
Page 1

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Recommended citation
Please use the following reference when citing this species account.
EcoRegistros. 2026. Chelonoidis chathamensis – Species account. Accessed from www.ecoregistros.org on 20/09/2026.