Lonesome George the tortoise died on Sunday. He was the last remaining Pinta Island giant tortoise in existence, but was unable to breed in time to save his subspecies. It's believed his disinterest in mating was caused by depression brought on after he spent decades alone on a remote island in the vast Galapagos archipelago.
This is a rare image of George showing interest in his female companion. A biologist who worked with the tortoise suggested George didn't know about mating: "He probably never saw a female and male of his own species reproducing," she said. George lived with two female tortoises for more than a decade before attempting to mate. They produced 13 eggs, which were all infertile.
George is survived by other tortoises, like this aging female. Giant tortoises are the longest-living vertebrates and can survive for more than a century under the right conditions. Hunted for food by pirates and sailors as early as the 17th century, they continue to be under threat. Now, non-native species such as rats and feral goats are gobbling up their food supply and destroying their eggs.
A lava lizard rests on volanic rock on Bartolomé Island. The Galapagos archipelago is subject to searing daytime temperatures. The isolation of the Galapagos Islands has allowed the flora and fauna here to adapt to their particular part of the archipelago without external influence. Reptiles like this one "dance" to keep cool, holding two feet in the air at a time and then alternating.
Marine iguanas can be found on nearly all the islands of the archipelago. Despite their fierce appearance, they are plant-loving herbivores, eating underwater seaweed and algae. It's believed there are hundreds of thousands of marine iguanas in this region. But, like the tortoise, they are under constant pressure from predators introduced by humans, such as goats, rats and cats.
A male and female frigate bird share a roost in low lying vegetation. Frigate birds are famous for their vibrant courtship ritual - males inflate the red balloons under their throats. They shake their feathers and sing for attention, hoping to impress potential mates.
When Charles Darwin visited Galapagos in the 1830s, he noticed that the remote volcanic islands had only been reached by life forms that could cross the ocean. Birds flew, while reptiles - which can go for months without eating or drinking - hitched a ride on floating objects. There are few predators on these islands, which has made the wildlife surprisingly tame and approachable.
Flamingos parade through the shallows of an island lagoon. These elegant birds eat tiny water plants and crustaceans full of carotenoids, which pass on their pink color. Flocks of pink flamingos are one of the major draws for the thousands of tourists who visit the Galapagos Islands every year.
Here, a giant tortoise enjoys a leafy feast. He's lucky the feral goats haven't gobbled up this patch of greenery. Goats gnaw right down to the root, leaving almost nothing behind. The islands are millions of years old and have been a safe, quiet place for tortoises to live. Things changed around 400 years ago when human beings arrived, bringing along their troublesome animals.
Tortoises are listed as endangered, but captive breeding efforts are showing positive results. A recovery program run by the Charles Darwin Foundation increased the overall population from 3,000 in 1974 to 20,000 today. These tiny giants are preparing to reclaim the islands which bear their name. When Spanish sailors discovered this place in 1535, they called it galápago, which means tortoise.
Lonesome George was the loneliest creature on earth. Until his death, he was the last remaining Pinta Island giant tortoise in existence. He was a symbol of the battle to preserve his home, the Galapagos Islands.
Lonesome George was the loneliest creature on earth. Until his death, he was the last remaining Pinta Island giant tortoise in existence. He was a symbol of the battle to preserve his home, the Galapagos Islands.
