Scientific name: Chelonoidis niger
Origin: South America (Galápagos islands)
Diet: Herbivore
Size: 1.2 metres long
IUCN status: Vulnerable
Threats: Hunted for its meat, competition with introduced species
Zoos I have seen them: ZSL London Zoo, Chester Zoo (?), Diergaarde Blijdorp
Interesting fact: 15 subspecies of the Galápagos giant tortoise are recognized, two of which are now extinct. Some scientists classify most of these as separate species based on genetic analysis.
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