{"id":7444,"date":"2026-02-28T04:59:54","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T02:59:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.schooler.org.ua\/uk-uaflorenski-cherepahi-povertajutsja-dodomu-pislja-majzhe-dvoh\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T04:59:54","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T02:59:54","slug":"uk-uaflorenski-cherepahi-povertajutsja-dodomu-pislja-majzhe-dvoh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.schooler.org.ua\/en\/uk-uaflorenski-cherepahi-povertajutsja-dodomu-pislja-majzhe-dvoh\/","title":{"rendered":"Floreana Tortoises Return Home After Nearly Two Centuries"},"content":{"rendered":"

For nearly two centuries, the Floreana giant tortoise (Chelonoidis niger niger<\/em> ) was believed extinct. A unique subspecies of the Gal\u00e1pagos tortoise, it vanished from Floreana Island in the early 1800s due to hunting by sailors and pirates, alongside the introduction of invasive species. However, a remarkable discovery in 2000 revealed the species\u2019 survival \u2013 not on Floreana, but 70 miles away on Isabela Island. <\/p>\n

Scientists found tortoises there with distinctive saddle-shaped shells that matched descriptions of the lost Floreana variety. Genetic testing confirmed these animals were hybrids, descended from Floreana tortoises taken aboard ships for food, and then left behind. This accidental relocation provided a lifeline for the species\u2019 genetic material. <\/p>\n

A Captive Breeding Program and Historic Return<\/strong> <\/p>\n

Last week, 158 tortoises bred in a dedicated captive program were released back onto Floreana Island, marking the first time in almost 200 years that Floreana-ancestry tortoises have roamed the land. The breeding program, led by James Gibbs of the Gal\u00e1pagos Conservancy, paired individuals from Isabela Island based on genetic testing to maximize the Floreana lineage in their offspring. While not exact replicas of the original tortoises, these animals carry significant traces of the original DNA. <\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWatching the tortoises step onto Floreana and start exploring was incredibly moving. It felt like the end of a 26-year effort but at the same time, a beginning,\u201d says Gibbs.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Why This Matters: Keystone Species and Ecosystem Restoration<\/strong> <\/p>\n

The return of these tortoises isn\u2019t just a symbolic victory. The Gal\u00e1pagos tortoise is a keystone species<\/em> \u2014meaning its presence has a disproportionately large impact on the environment. These tortoises act as seed dispersers and contribute to forest regeneration. Their reintroduction is expected to nudge Floreana Island closer to its original ecological state. <\/p>\n

Rick Hudson, president emeritus of Turtle Survival Alliance, points to similar successes: \u201cAny time you can return an \u2018ecosystem engineer\u2019 like giant tortoises to an environment where they once roamed, we expect good things to happen.\u201d The Aldabra tortoise\u2019s reintroduction to Mauritius, for example, led to the recovery of native plants and the decline of invasive species. <\/p>\n

The return of the Floreana tortoise is a powerful demonstration that even seemingly irreversible losses can be undone. The island\u2019s ecosystems, shaped by millions of years of evolution, are now getting a second chance, and the biological processes that once defined Floreana are beginning to revive. This is a testament to the power of conservation and the unexpected resilience of nature.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For nearly two centuries, the Floreana giant tortoise (Chelonoidis niger niger ) was believed extinct. A unique subspecies of the Gal\u00e1pagos tortoise, it vanished from Floreana Island in the early 1800s due to hunting by sailors and pirates, alongside the introduction of invasive species. However, a remarkable discovery in 2000 revealed the species\u2019 survival \u2013 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schooler.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7444"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schooler.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schooler.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schooler.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schooler.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.schooler.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7444\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schooler.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schooler.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schooler.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schooler.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}