Fernandina Galápagos Tortoise
Search for Lost Species > Most Wanted > Fernandina Galápagos Tortoise
Fernandina Galápagos Tortoise
SCIENTIFIC NAME: CHELONOIDIS PHANTASTICUS
Last Seen: 1906
Update (02.20.19) We are awaiting the results of genetic testing to confirm the rediscovery of the Fernandina Galápagos Tortoise in the Galápagos.
Previous to that, only one individual was ever found—on Fernandina Island, the youngest and least-explored of the Galápagos Islands. According to Himalayan mountaineering legend Eric Shipton, the odds of rediscovering a Fernandina Tortoise were at least better than those of finding a Yeti. An expedition in 1964 discovered putative tortoise droppings, and a fly-over in 2009 reported sightings of something tortoise-like from the air, renewing hope that this species may yet be holding on.
See photos about finding this female tortoise on Fernandina Island below.
In the News
Read more about the search for this elusive tortoise.
Galapagos Conservancy
Intensive Search on Fernandina Island Confirms the Presence of Tortoises
Multimedia
Photos provided by Forrest Galante, Animal Planet.
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