|
|
Galapagos In Danger
Galapagos Conservancy joins with
the Charles Darwin Foundation
(CDF) in support of the UNESCO decision to inscribe Galapagos as a
World Heritage Site in danger. more>
Galapagos Giant Tortoise
Giant tortoise can weigh
over 300 kilograms (660 lb) and measure 1.2 meters
(3.9 ft) long. Although the maximum life expectancy of a wild
tortoise is
unknown, the average life expectancy is estimated to be 200 years. more>
|
|
|
Galapagos Marine Iguana
Marine iguana is found only on the Galapagos
Islands, but has spread to all the islands in the archipelago, and is
sometimes called the "Galapagos marine iguana". more>
|
|
|
|
Galapagos - Explore More...
The islands are located at a geological hot spot,
a place where the Earth's crust is being melted from below by a mantle
plume, creating volcanos. Volcanic craters are on almost every island.
The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) operates the Charles Darwin Reseach
Station on Santa Cruz Island. They provide critical logistic support to
scientific studies and are
heavily involved in conservation and they carried out research for the
conservation of the Galapagos ecosystem for almost 50 years.
It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most
intelligent. It is the one that is most adaptable to change. [Charles
Darwin, 1859]
The Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT)
GCT works to contribute to the successful management of the Galapagos
ecosystem. The GCT also raises awareness of, and funds for, the
conservation needs of Galapagos.
Two distinct types of volcanoes occur in the Galapagos. In the west, on
the islands of Isabela and Fernandina, large volcanoes with an
"inverted soup-bowl" morphology and deep calderas occur. In the east,
smaller shield volcanos with gentler slopes occur.
Charles
Darwin Research Station Fact Sheet
The black Lava rocks on the beach are frequented by large (2-3 ft) most
disgusting clumsy Lizards. They are as black as the porous rocks over
which they crawl & seek their prey from the Sea. I call them 'imps
of darkness'. They assuredly well become the land they inhabit [Charles
Darwin]. Info in pdf format about marine iguanas.
Images of Marine and Land Iguanas
Interesting quality images of the " most disgusting clumsy Lizards".
Amblyrhynchus Cristatus - Marine Iguana
They are distinguished from land iguanas by their short, blunt snouts
and slightly laterally compressed tail which efficiently moves this
lizard along the surface or beneath the water.
The Galapagos Fur Seal - Arctocephalus
Galapagoensis
Adult males measure up to 1.5 m long and weigh 64 kg on average. Adult
females are smaller, measuring an average of 1.2 m in length and
weighing from 22-34 kg (average 28 kg).
|
|
|
