Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents the Mystery Animal of the Day.

He's dubbed the "loneliest animal on Earth" for bearing the burden of being the last known survivor of his subspecies.

This animal lives on an island, part of an archipelago made famous by Darwin.

He is a slow moving reptile with a saddleback shell and long neck and limbs.

If your answer is Pinta Island Tortoise or Abingdon Island Tortoise, Mama gnome would like to walk on the beach with you someday to participate at the next Coastal Cleanup Day.

photo from: putneymark

This famous tortoise is called Lonesome George.

He was discovered on the island of Pinta in 1971. Pinta is one of the islets of the Galapagos Archipelago.



photo from: Minglex


Pinta Island Tortoises were severely hunted down by fishermen and whalers to the point of extinction in the wild.

In addition..."the island's vegetation had been decimated by introduced feral goats, and the indigenous Geochelone nigra abingdoni population had been reduced to a single individual."

That single individual is George.

George has since lived in protected confinement at the Charles Darwin Research Center.

They estimate his age to be around ninety years old.

Lonesome George is the last known Geochelone nigra abingdoni or Abingdon Island Tortoise, a subspecies of the Galapagos giant tortoises.

The Galapagos giant tortoise is the largest living tortoise. Adults can measure up to four feet or 1.2 meters long and weigh over 661 pounds or 300 kilograms.

Their normal life expectancy is estimated to be 100 to 150 years.

Since the start of the 17th century, the Galapagos tortoises have been killed by hunters, poachers and predators introduced to the islands by humans.

Their food which is mainly plants and grasses have severely diminished as well.

Although the Galapagos giant tortoise has been listed as a "protected species" since 1936 by the Ecuadorian government, over 120 tortoises have been killed by poachers.

In 2004 the giant tortoises and scientists at the Charles Darwin Research Center were taken hostage by local fisherman as part of their political protest against environmental laws. Some fishermen even threatened to kill Lonesome George.

Today, of the ten remaining subspecies of Galapagos giant tortoises, George is charged with representing his entire subspecies by himself.

Attempts are being made to continue George's genome. Although the resulting offsprings if they are successful will be 'hybrids,' for the female tortoises are different subspecies.

In 2008, one of the female tortoises laid a clutch of eggs but were later found infertile.

Last July 2009, the Galapagos National Park reported a second clutch of eggs were discovered. After an incubation period of 120 days they will determine if the eggs are fertile.

Mama gnome will keep her fingers crossed and root for George.


video from: BBCWorldwide

Mama gnome now feels like stretching her neck high and coming out of her shell to say to the world,

"Lonesome George may be the last of his kind, but he is not alone. I will stand by him and so should you. Be a part of his family and go green."

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog