Birth of turtles on the Galapagos have been waiting for 100 years Bashny.Net

More than 100 years Pinzón, the smallest island of the Galapagos Archipelago, not born elephant turtles. In nature, these giants were not enemies until imported men black rats bred not so much that began to destroy all the clutch of turtle eggs. It took 60 years of effort, scientists and volunteers to make a difference: in the past, researchers have noticed pinsonskih turtles in the wild

. Galápagos tortoise found only on the Galapagos. Moreover, some of the islands for many thousands of years of isolation developed a unique subspecies, not like the "neighbors". Starting from the XVI century, sailors discovered the Galapagos Islands began to use the turtle as a living "canned meat" loaded into the holds before sailing. So unique ability elephant turtles endure months without food and water turned against them. By the mid-twentieth century, there are only about 3 000 individuals.

Pinsonsky subspecies was one of the most vulnerable. By 1900, the rats ate all the turtle eggs on the island. Any other kind, have been subjected to such an attack would have died out, but the turtles rescued their longevity. Half a century later, when the island was left just a hundred turtles, ecologists came to the island, literally stolen from under the noses of all the pests found turtle eggs and put them in the incubator.

This tactic allowed the turtle to win a few decades, but it has not solved the problem. Therefore, in 2012 the Galapagos National Park rangers began to fight with the rats. After 3 years observers found 10 turtles hatched on the island - the first 100 years

. Project to save pinsonskih turtles for 60 years, and there is still many years of work. However, the fact that almost destroyed the form was returned to the wild, gives hope that we have done a lot of harm, but we may still not too late to correct a lot





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