Galápagos Giant Tortoises
- 2nd Edition - June 1, 2027
- Latest edition
- Editors: James P. Gibbs, Washington Tapia A., Jorge Carrión-Tacuri
- Language: English
Galápagos Giant Tortoises, Second Edition offers a fully updated and expanded look at the biology, ecology, and conservation of one of the world’s most iconic reptile groups. It r… Read more
Description
Description
The book opens with a history of human–tortoise interactions, from early exploitation to the modern conservation era. It then explores the latest research on evolution, species delineation, habitat use, and behavior. New chapters address emerging topics such as ex situ conservation efforts, human–tortoise conflict, and the search for a presumed-extinct species on Fernandina Island. Updated case studies highlight the progress and challenges of ongoing restoration, and species assessments have been thoroughly revised.
Accessible and extensively illustrated, Galápagos Giant Tortoises, Second Edition is intended for those working on island restoration and species recovery beyond Galápagos as well as chelonian specialists and enthusiasts worldwide. As part of the Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscape series, it remains an essential resource for understanding and protecting the Galápagos giant tortoises.
Key features
Key features
- Summarizes the evolutionary history, taxonomy, and species-level diversity of Galápagos giant tortoises, including newly described and rediscovered species, with updated IUCN Red List assessments
- Provides a comprehensive synthesis of Galápagos giant tortoise biology, ecology, and conservation
- Features case studies highlighting species-specific recovery strategies, from captive breeding to invasive species eradication, showcasing one of the world’s most successful wildlife restoration programs
- Examines the intersection of science, policy, and management, documenting how coordinated international, national and local efforts have reversed extinction trajectories
- Addresses future challenges and opportunities, including climate change impacts, human–tortoise conflict, and research gaps, while offering a blueprint for full restoration of tortoise populations across the Galápagos archipelago
Readership
Readership
Table of contents
Table of contents
1. The Galapagos: Island home of giant tortoises
2. Galapagos tortoises: Protagonists in the spectacle of life on Earth
Section II - History of Human–Tortoise Interactions
3. Human perceptions of Galapagos tortoises through history
4. The era of exploitation: 1535–1959
5. Darwin and the Galapagos giant tortoises
6. The collectors: Beginnings of scientific inquiry and the lasting impacts of living and museum collections
Section III - Natural History
7. Evolution and phylogenetics
8. Morphology
9. Reproduction
10. Diet
11. Movement
12. Population Biology
13. Habitats
14. Role in ecosystems
Section IV - Conservation: Slow Rescue from Near Destruction
15. The history of Galapagos tortoise conservation
16. Tortoise populations after 60 years of conservation
17. Ex situ tortoise conservation in Galapagos
18. International zoo engagement in tortoise conservation
19. Tortoise health
20. Invasive species: Impacts, control, and eradication
21. Human-tortoise conflict co-existence
Section V - Restoration Case Studies
22. Española Island: From near extinction to recovery
23. Pinzón Island: A century of zero tortoise hatchlings to a growing population
24. Floreana and Pinta Islands: Restoring tortoise populations through lost lineage recovery
25. Fernandina Island: On the brink of extinction
26. Santa Fe Island: Return of tortoises via a replacement species
Section VI - Into the Future
27. Beyond rescue to full recovery
Review quotes
Review quotes
"I want to emphasize that this book is not just for Galápagos giant tortoise enthusiasts. It also highlights the many lessons that have been learned from restoration of Galápagos ecosystems. I teach an undergraduate course on conservation biology and always include a discussion of “ecological substitutes” as a means or restoring lost ecological functions. The comprehensive list of tortoise rewilding efforts around the globe (Chapter 2) will definitely be incorporated into my discussion of this topic the next time I give the course. My course similarly includes a unit on eradication of invasive species, and the eradications successfully completed in the Galápagos (Chapter 19) are certainly a guide for future eradication attempts around the globe. I was particularly interested in the rat eradication carried out on Pinzón Island (Chapter 22) and the immediate benefits detected for not only Galápagos giant tortoises, but also land snails, lava lizards, Galápagos snakes, cactus finches, and Galápagos rails.
This leads to my final point about the book’s inspiring accounts of individual tortoises. Although we are all aware of the incredible longevity of giant tortoises, the stories in this volume brought it home to me in a way I had not experienced before. I was particularly moved by the story of Diego (Chapter 21), the Española giant tortoise who was collected from his home island in 1934, spent 43 years at the San Diego Zoo, was then transferred to the Tortoise Breeding Center to participate in the captive breeding program for another 43 years, before being returned to his home island in 2020. It is incredible to think of any living organism having witnessed so much change, but the authors of this volume calculate that 2% of Galápagos giant tortoises alive today would have been present when Darwin visited the islands in 1834. It is only due to their extreme longevity that the tortoises were able to persist through centuries of human exploitation and invasive species (e.g., there was no natural tortoise recruitment on Pinzón for over a century). I commend the authors for composing engaging chapters across the board and the editors for forming them into a cohesive volume."—The Quarterly Review of Biology
Product details
Product details
- Edition: 2
- Latest edition
- Published: June 1, 2027
- Language: English
About the editors
About the editors
James P. Gibbs
James P. Gibbs is Distinguished Professor of Environmental and Forest Biology at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Vice President of Galápagos Conservancy. He earned a PhD in Forestry and Environmental Studies from Yale University (1995). He has conducted conservation research worldwide and authored more than 240 peer-reviewed papers and several books. He serves on several conservation boards focused on island and Galápagos biodiversity.
Washington Tapia A.
Washington Tapia Aguilera, Ph.D., is a conservation biologist and leading expert in Galápagos restoration, with more than three decades of experience in protected-area management, research, and species recovery. He earned his Ph.D. in Biodiversity and Environment from the University of Málaga in 2024 and has held senior leadership positions with the Galápagos National Park. From 2014 to 2025, he directed Galápagos Conservancy’s Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative, helping advance major rewilding and restoration efforts across the archipelago. Currently Tapia serves as CEO of Biodiversa Consultants, based in the Galápagos Islands, and continues to advise globally on biodiversity management and ecological restoration.