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  Weighing up to 700 pounds, and growing to a length of between four and five feet, the Galapagos tortoise is the largest living species of tortoise in the world. Native to the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador, Galapagos tortoises were named by Spanish explorers for the saddle, or galapago, shape of the shells of some sub-species. Their shells are made of bone and provide warmth and protection for these gentle giants. When threatened, the tortoises pull their heads, tails, and legs into their shells to keep their bodies safe from predators. Thanks in part to their body armor, Galapagos Tortoises live to be between 150 and 200 years old. As members of the reptile family, Galapagos tortoises are cold-blooded and need to spend part of their days soaking up heat from the sun. When night falls, they make beds of mud, water, or brush to keep them warm and safe. Tortoises also make nests for their eggs. Tortoise eggs are laid in batches of between 2 and 16 and stay in the nests from 120 – 140 days. The sex of the tortoises is determined by the temperature in the nest. If the nest is warm, more female eggs hatch and if the nest is cooler, more male eggs hatch. Galapagos tortoises are herbivores, or animals that only eat plants. Their main diet consists of cacti, fruits, vines, and grasses. The tortoises’ bodies store nutrients so well that they can go without food and water for an entire year. Galapagos tortoises are a key part of the eco-system on the Galapagos Islands. They have symbiotic, or mutually helpful, relationships with other animals, like the Galapagos Finch and the Galapagos Hawk. Although they have almost no natural predators, the population of Galapagos Tortoises has dropped drastically. When Charles Darwin first discovered the tortoises in the early 19th century, there were over 250,000 Galapagos Tortoises. Now there are now only an estimated 15,000 tortoises left. For centuries, sailors used the tortoises for food which greatly reduced the number of tortoises left on the islands. Non-native species like goats have also been introduced to the Galapagos and compete with the tortoises for a limited food supply.
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