Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Chelonoidis guentheri (Chelonoidis guntheri), recorded as Critically Endangered
Chelonoidis guentheri (Chelonoidis guntheri). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Critically Endangered

Chelonoidis guentheri

Chelonoidis guntheri

Chelonoidis niger guentheri, called the Sierra Negra giant tortoise or Günther's giant tortoise, is a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise endemic to the Galápagos archipelago in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Status
Critically Endangered
Scientific name
Chelonoidis guntheri
Taxonomy
Testudines · Testudinidae · Chelonoidis

The tortoise

Male tortoises grow to about 120 cm (47 in) and females to about 92 cm (36 in) in length and may have either domed or flattened carapaces.

Range and habitat

The tortoise's range is limited to an area of about 800 km2 (310 sq mi) on the slopes of the Sierra Negra volcano, from near sea-level to an altitude of around 1,000 m (3,300 ft), at the southern end of Isabela Island. There it inhabits deciduous and evergreen forests, dry grassland, introduced vegetation and agricultural land. The population is estimated to comprise some 400–700 mature individuals, a decline of 99% from an estimated 71,000 individuals prior to human contact with the islands.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

In crisis

The subspecies is considered to be Critically Endangered. The population was historically overexploited for food and oil by sailors and settlers, and some poaching continues. Other threats include predation of eggs and hatchlings, as well as habitat degradation, by introduced animals, among them dogs, rodents, pigs, goats and fire ants.

Volcanic eruptions also threaten the tortoises and their habitat.

Chelonoidis guentheri is Critically Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Chelonoidis guentheri, Wikidata item Q12745313. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Chelonoidis donfaustoi (Chelonoidis donfaustoi), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Chelonoidis donfaustoi

Chelonoidis donfaustoi
Photograph of Fernandina Island Galápagos tortoise (Chelonoidis phantastica), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Fernandina Island Galápagos tortoise

Chelonoidis phantastica
Photograph of Hood Island giant tortoise (Chelonoidis hoodensis), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Hood Island giant tortoise

Chelonoidis hoodensis
Photograph of Santiago Island giant tortoise (Chelonoidis darwini), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Santiago Island giant tortoise

Chelonoidis darwini

Quick answers

What is Chelonoidis guentheri?
Chelonoidis guentheri is a tortoise in the family Testudinidae — Chelonoidis guntheri.
What is the conservation status of Chelonoidis guentheri?
Critically Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Chelonoidis guntheri. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Chelonoidis guentheri live?
The tortoise's range is limited to an area of about 800 km2 (310 sq mi) on the slopes of the Sierra Negra volcano, from near sea-level to an altitude of around 1,000 m (3,300 ft), at the southern end of Isabela Island.
Why is Chelonoidis guentheri in crisis?
The subspecies is considered to be Critically Endangered.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Chelonoidis guntheri?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Chelonoidis guentheri a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.