Chelonoidis niger vandenburghi

Subspecies of giant tortoise

Chelonoidis niger vandenburghi

Chelonoidis vandenburghi

Conservation status

Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)[1]

CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]

Scientific classification
Domain:  | Eukaryota
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Reptilia
Order:  | Testudines
Suborder:  | Cryptodira
Superfamily:  | Testudinoidea
Family:  | Testudinidae
Genus:  | Chelonoidis
Species:  |

C. niger

Subspecies:  |

C. n. vandenburghi

Trinomial name
Chelonoidis niger vandenburghi

(De Sola, 1930)

Synonyms

* Testudo vandenburghi De Sola, 1930
* Geochelone elephantopus vandenburghi Pritchard, 1967
* Geochelone vandenburghi Ernst & Barbour, 1989
* Geochelone nigra vandenburghi Iverson, 1992
* Chelonoidis vandenburghi TTWG, 2017

Chelonoidis niger vandenburghi, also known as the Volcán Alcedo giant tortoise, the Alcedo Volcano giant tortoise or the Alcedo giant tortoise, is a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise endemic to the Galápagos archipelago in the equatorial eastern Pacific Ocean. The specific epithet vandenburghi honours American herpetologist John Van Denburgh.[3]

## Taxonomy[edit]

This tortoise is a subspecies of Chelonoidis niger, and is sometimes considered to be a distinct species itself.[4]

## Description[edit]

Male tortoises grow to about 129 cm and females to about 90 cm in length, with domed carapaces.[3]

## Behaviour[edit]

The tortoises spend most of the day feeding, resting, or congregating in muddy pools. They sleep in the open at night. Adults migrate seasonally, travelling along the rim of the volcano's caldera and descending to the lower slopes to graze on new vegetation after wet season rains.[3]

### Feeding[edit]

The tortoises feed on grass, leaves, forbs, sedges, fruit and lichens, obtaining water from their diet and pools of rainwater.[3]

### Breeding[edit]

Male tortoises compete with each other by extending their necks, gaping, biting and pushing. They utter loud guttural noises while mating. Females start nesting in May and June at the end of the wet season, laying clutches of 6–26 eggs in soft soil. Juvenile tortoises tend to stay at lower, warmer, elevations for the first 10–15 years of their lives[3]

## Distribution and habitat[edit]

The tortoise's range is limited to an area of 476 km2 on the Alcedo Volcano on the central part of Isabela Island. There it inhabits deciduous and evergreen forests as well as humid grassland. [3]

## Conservation[edit]

The tortoise population is estimated to comprise some 6,300 individuals, a decline of 84% since 1840, and the subspecies is considered to be Vulnerable. The tortoise population formerly suffered through predation and trampling of eggs and hatchlings, as well as habitat degradation, by introduced animals including pigs, donkeys and goats. Volcanic eruptions have also affected the tortoises and their habitat, with a major eruption of Alcedo 100,000 years ago thought to be the cause of the subspecies' low genetic diversity.[3]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Cayot, L.J., Gibbs, J.P., Tapia, W. & Caccone, A. (2018). "Volcán Alcedo Giant Tortoise". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2021.`{{cite journal}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
3. ^ a b c d e f g Arteaga, A; Bustamante, L; Vieira, J; Guayasamin, JM (2020). Reptiles of Ecuador: Life in the middle of the world. Quito: Universidad Tecnológica Indoamereica.
4. ^ "Chelonoidis vandenburghi (DESOLA, 1930)". Reptile Database. Peter Uetz and Jakob Hallermann. Retrieved 28 June 2021.

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Tortoise family

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Chordata
* Class: Reptilia
* Subclass: Anapsida
* Order: Testudines
* Suborder: Cryptodira
* Superfamily: Testudinoidea
* Family: Testudinidae

Genera|

Species of the tortoise family

Agrionemys|

* Russian tortoise

Aldabrachelys|

* Aldabra giant tortoise (subspecies:
* A. g. arnoldi
* †A. g. daudinii
* A. g. hololissa)
* †Aldabrachelys abrupta
* †Aldabrachelys grandidieri

Astrochelys|

* Angonoka tortoise
* Radiated tortoise
* †Astrochelys rogerbouri

Centrochelys|

* African spurred tortoise
* †Centrochelys atlantica
* †Centrochelys burchardi
* †Centrochelys vulcanica

Chelonoidis|

* Chaco tortoise
* Red-footed tortoise
* Yellow-footed tortoise
* †Chelonoidis alburyorum
* †Chelonoidis cubensis
* †Chelonoidis lutzae
* †Chelonoidis monensis
* †Chelonoidis sellovii
* †Chelonoidis sombrerensis

Galápagos tortoise

Chelonoidis complex

* Cerro Azul giant tortoise
* Chatham Island giant tortoise
* Eastern Santa Cruz tortoise
* Fernandina Island tortoise
* †Floreana Island tortoise
* Hood Island giant tortoise (Diego)
* Santa Fe Island tortoise
* †Pinta Island tortoise †(Lonesome George)
* Santiago Island giant tortoise
* Pinzón Island giant tortoise
* Sierra Negra giant tortoise
* Volcán Alcedo giant tortoise
* Volcán Darwin giant tortoise
* Volcán Wolf giant tortoise
* Western Santa Cruz tortoise

†Cheirogaster|

* †Cheirogaster bacharidisi
* †Cheirogaster gymnesica
* †Cheirogaster schafferi

Chersina|

* Angulate tortoise

Chersobius|

* Nama padloper
* Karoo padloper
* Speckled padloper

†Cylindraspis|

* †Domed Mauritius giant tortoise
* †Domed Rodrigues giant tortoise
* †Réunion giant tortoise
* †Saddle-backed Mauritius giant tortoise
* †Saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise

Geochelone|

* Burmese star tortoise
* Indian star tortoise

Gopherus|

* Bolson tortoise
* Desert tortoise
* Goode's thornscrub tortoise
* Gopher tortoise
* Sonoran Desert tortoise
* Texas tortoise

†Hadrianus|

* †Hadrianus corsoni
* †Hadrianus majusculus
* †Hadrianus octonaria
* †Hadrianus robustus
* †Hadrianus schucherti
* †Hadrianus utahensis
* †Hadrianus vialovi

†Hesperotestudo|

* †Hesperotestudo percrassa

Homopus|

* Common padloper
* Greater padloper

Indotestudo|

* Elongated tortoise
* Forsten's tortoise
* Travancore tortoise

Kinixys|

* Bell's hinge-back tortoise
* Forest hinge-back tortoise
* Home's hinge-back tortoise
* Lobatse hinge-back tortoise
* Natal hinge-back tortoise
* Speke's hinge-back tortoise

Malacochersus|

* Pancake tortoise

Manouria|

* Asian forest tortoise
* Impressed tortoise

†Megalochelys|

* †Megalochelys atlas
* †Megalochelys cautleyi
* †Megalochelys margae
* †Megalochelys sondaari

Psammobates|

* Geometric tortoise
* Serrated tortoise
* Tent tortoise

Pyxis|

* Flat-backed spider tortoise
* Spider tortoise

Stigmochelys|

* Leopard tortoise

†Stylemys|

* †Stylemys botti
* †Stylemys calaverensis
* †Stylemys canetotiana
* †Stylemys capax
* †Stylemys conspecta
* †Stylemys copei
* †Stylemys emiliae
* †Stylemys frizaciana
* †Stylemys karakolensis
* †Stylemys nebrascensis
* †Stylemys neglectus
* †Stylemys oregonensis
* †Stylemys pygmea
* †Stylemys uintensis
* †Stylemys undabuna

Testudo|

* Hermann's tortoise
* Kleinmann's tortoise
* Marginated tortoise
* Spur-thighed tortoise
* †Testudo brevitesta

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. Key: †=extinct.

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Testudines

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Chordata
* Class: Reptilia
* Clade: Diapsida
* Order: Testudines

Suborder|

| Superfamily|

| Family|

Genus

Cryptodira|

| Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)|

| Cheloniidae|

* †Allopleuron
* Caretta
* †Carolinochelys
* Chelonia
* †Eochelone
* Eretmochelys
* †Gigantatypus
* †Glarichelys
* †Itilochelys
* Lepidochelys
* †Mexichelys
* †Miocaretta
* Natator
* †Pacifichelys
* †Syllomus
* †Tasbacka

|

Dermochelyidae|

* †Arabemys
* †Corsochelys
* †Cosmochelys
* Dermochelys
* †Eosphargis
* †Mesodermochelys
* †Psephophorus

* †Euclastes
* †Peritresius
* †Procolpochelys
* †Protosphargis
* †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea|

| Dermatemydidae|

* Dermatemys

|

Kinosternidae|

* Claudius
* †Hoplochelys
* Kinosternon
* Staurotypus
* Sternotherus

Testudinoidea|

| Emydidae|

* †Acherontemys
* Chrysemys
* Clemmys
* Deirochelys
* Emys
* Actinemys
* Emydoidea
* Glyptemys
* Graptemys
* Malaclemys
* Pseudemys
* Terrapene
* Trachemys
* †Wilburemys

|

Geoemydidae|

* Batagur
* †Banhxeochelys
* Cuora
* Cyclemys
* Geoclemys
* Geoemyda
* Hardella
* Heosemys
* Leucocephalon
* Malayemys
* Mauremys
* Melanochelys
* Morenia
* Notochelys
* Orlitia
* Pangshura
* Rhinoclemmys
* Sacalia
* Siebenrockiella
* Vijayachelys

Platysternidae|

* Platysternon

Testudinidae|

* Aldabrachelys
* Astrochelys
* Centrochelys
* Chelonoidis
* Chersina
* Cylindraspis
* †Cymatholcus
* †Floridemys
* Geochelone
* Gopherus
* †Hadrianus
* †Hesperotestudo
* Homopus
* Indotestudo
* Kinixys
* Malacochersus
* Manouria
* †Megalochelys
* †Oligopherus
* Psammobates
* Pyxis
* †Solitudo
* Stigmochelys
* †Stylemys
* Testudo

Trionychia|

| Carettochelyidae|

* †Allaeochelys
* †Anosteira
* Carettochelys

|

Trionychidae|

* Amyda
* Apalone
* †Axestemys
* Chitra
* Cyclanorbis
* Cycloderma
* †Drazinderetes
* Dogania
* †Gilmoremys
* †Hutchemys
* †Khunnuchelys
* Lissemys
* Nilssonia
* Palea
* †Palaeoamyda
* Pelochelys
* Pelodiscus
* Rafetus
* Trionyx

* †Basilochelys
* †Sinaspideretes

| Chelydridae|

* Chelydra
* †Chelydrops
* †Chelydropsis
* †Emarginachelys
* †Macrocephalochelys
* Macrochelys
* †Planiplastron
* †Protochelydra

|

†Nanhsiungchelyidae|

* †Anomalochelys
* †Basilemys
* †Jiangxichelys

†Protostegidae|

* †Alienochelys
* †Archelon
* †Atlantochelys
* †Bouliachelys
* †Calcarichelys
* †Cratochelone
* †Desmatochelys
* †Iserosaurus
* †Notochelone
* †Ocepechelon
* †Pneumatoarthrus
* †Protostega
* †Rhinochelys
* †Santanachelys
* †Terlinguachelys

* †Adocus
* †Argillochelys
* †Bashuchelys
* †Ctenochelys
* †Prionochelys
* †Toxochelys

Pleurodira|

|  |

| †Araripemydidae|

* †Araripemys

|

†Bothremydidae|

* †Araiochelys
* †Arenila
* †Azabbaremys
* †Bothremys
* †Cearachelys
* †Chedighaii
* †Chupacabrachelys
* †Eotaphrosphys
* †Foxemys
* †Galianemys
* †Ilatardia
* †Inaechelys
* †Itapecuruemys
* †Jainemys
* †Kinkonychelys
* †Kurmademys
* †Labrostochelys
* †Nigeremys
* †Phosphatochelys
* †Polysternon
* †Puentemys
* †Rosasia
* †Rhothonemys
* †Sankuchemys
* †Taphrosphys
* †Ummulisani
* †Zolhafah

Chelidae|

* Acanthochelys
* Chelodina
* Chelus
* Elseya
* Elusor
* Emydura
* Hydromedusa
* †Lomalatachelys
* Mesoclemmys
* Myuchelys
* Phrynops
* Platemys
* †Prochelidella
* Pseudemydura
* Rheodytes
* Rhinemys
* †Yaminuechelys

Pelomedusidae|

* Pelomedusa
* Pelusios

Podocnemididae|

* †Albertwoodemys
* †Bauruemys
* †Brontochelys
* †Caninemys
* †Carbonemys
* †Cerrejonemys
* †Cordichelys
* Erymnochelys
* †Lapparentemys
* †Latentemys
* Peltocephalus
* Podocnemis
* †Stupendemys

†Sahonachelyidae|

* †Sahonachelys
* †Sokatra

|  |

|  |

* †Caribemys
* †Caririemys
* †Tacuarembemys

|

* Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.

* See also List of Testudines families

Taxon identifiers|

* Wikidata: Q12745316
* CoL: 8GPG4
* GBIF: 10857641
* iNaturalist: 606138
* IUCN: 9027
* NCBI: 2039268
* RD: vandenburghi

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