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

Endangered

Chelonoidis vicina

Chelonoidis vicina

Chelonoidis niger vicina, called the Cerro Azul giant tortoise, Iguana Cove tortoise or the Isabela Island giant tortoise, is a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise endemic to Isabela Island in the Galápagos.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Chelonoidis vicina
Taxonomy
Testudines · Testudinidae · Chelonoidis

Appearance

It has a thick, heavy shell intermediate between saddle-backed and domed, and not appreciably narrowed anteriorly.

Range and habitat

Chelonoidis niger vicina, called the Cerro Azul giant tortoise, Iguana Cove tortoise or the Isabela Island giant tortoise, is a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise endemic to Isabela Island in the Galápagos.

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

In crisis

This population was depleted by seamen in the last 200 years and by extensive slaughter in the late 1950s and 1960s by employees of cattle companies based at Iguana Cove. Their population is thought to overlap with Chelonoidis niger guentheri. A 2023 population study conducted by the Galápagos Conservancy estimated the subspecies' population to be around 5275 individuals.

Chelonoidis vicina is 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 vicina, Wikidata item Q2370926. 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 Chelonoidis guentheri (Chelonoidis guntheri), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Chelonoidis guentheri

Chelonoidis guntheri
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

Quick answers

What is Chelonoidis vicina?
Chelonoidis vicina is a tortoise in the family Testudinidae.
What is the conservation status of Chelonoidis vicina?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Chelonoidis vicina. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Chelonoidis vicina live?
Chelonoidis niger vicina, called the Cerro Azul giant tortoise, Iguana Cove tortoise or the Isabela Island giant tortoise, is a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise endemic to Isabela Island in the Galápagos.
Why is Chelonoidis vicina in crisis?
A 2023 population study conducted by the Galápagos Conservancy estimated the subspecies' population to be around 5275 individuals.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Chelonoidis vicina?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Chelonoidis vicina a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.