Chelonoidis niger guentheri
Chelonoidis niger guentheri, commonly known as the Sierra Negra giant tortoise or Günther's giant tortoise, is a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise endemic to the Galápagos archipelago in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The specific epithet guentheri honours zoologist Albert Günther.
Taxonomy
This tortoise is a subspecies of Chelonoidis niger, and is sometimes considered a distinct species.Description
Male tortoises grow to about and females to about in length and may have either domed or flattened carapaces.Behaviour
Feeding
The tortoises graze on shrubs and low-growing herbaceous vegetation, consuming herbs, grass, cacti, lichens, and fruit.Breeding
Male tortoises compete with each other by extending their necks, gaping, biting and shell-bumping. They produce loud guttural noises while mating. Females lay clutches of usually 6–11 eggs. Juvenile tortoises tend to remain in the warmer, lowland, part of the subspecies' range for the first 10–15 years of their lives.Distribution and habitat
The tortoise's range is limited to an area of about on the slopes of the Sierra Negra volcano, from near sea-level to an altitude of around, at the southern end of Isabela Island. There it inhabits deciduous and evergreen forests, dry grassland, introduced vegetation and agricultural land. The population is estimated to comprise some 400–700 mature individuals, a decline of 99% from an estimated 71,000 individuals prior to human contact with the islands.A 2023 population census of Southern Isabella tortoise subspecies estimated the subspecies population to be around 704 individuals.