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The Pinta Island tortoise was a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise that became extinct in 2012. It was the last known living representative of its species, and was named after the island where it lived.
Lonesome George was the last known male of the Pinta Island tortoise subspecies (Chelonoidis niger abingdonii) and a symbol of conservation efforts in the Galápagos Islands. He died in 2012 and his taxidermied body is displayed at the Galápagos National Park headquarters.
Chelonoidis abingdonii was the only tortoise on Pinta Island, a saddleback-shaped reptile that fed on cactus pads. It went extinct in 2012, but its genes may be preserved on nearby Isabela Island.
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- Tortoises Under Threat
- Finding Extinct Tortoises
- An Arduous Expedition
- Reintroducing ‘Extinct’ Tortoises
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The Galápagos Islands were colonised in the late 1800s. A combination of poaching by whalers and pirates, and introduced pests competing for food and eating eggs and hatchlings, led to tortoises being exterminated on some islands, and dramatically reduced on others. Darwin wrote about the harvesting of the species of tortoise found only on Floreana...
Ten years ago our genetic research program made a very surprising discovery. Some tortoises on Volcano Wolf, on Isabela Island, didn’t match others normally found on the volcano (Chelonoidis becki). Instead, their DNA matched that of the extinct species from Floreana and Pinta. These exciting discoveries led to an expedition on Volcano Wolf in 2008...
Our recent expedition was aimed at finding the animals with a high proportion of ancestors from Floreana or Pinta. It was ambitious, logistically complex, and very strenuous. Our team of park rangers, scientists, and veterinarians from 10 countries were divided in nine groups of three to four people each. The daily mission included patrolling large...
The DNA of these tortoises will be analysed to inform the best breeding strategy. We want to restore as much as possible the genes originally found on Floreana and Pinta. The captive-born offspring of the two extinct species are expected to be released in their native islands within the next five to ten years. Reintroduction of these tortoises to t...
Learn how scientists rediscovered and rescued two extinct species of giant tortoises from the Galápagos Islands, including the Pinta tortoise (Chelonoidis abingdoni). Find out how they plan to reintroduce them to their native habitats and restore the ecosystems.
Jun 5, 2020 · Learn about the extinct subspecies of Galápagos tortoise native to Pinta Island, also known as the Abingdon Island tortoise. Find out its taxonomy, evolution, behaviour, ecology, threats and conservation, and the story of Lonesome George.
Jun 27, 2012 · Perhaps best known for his apparent aversion to female tortoises—hence his nickname—George was the last known individual of his subspecies, Geochelone abingdoni, also called the Pinta Island...
May 26, 2021 · Genetic tests have confirmed that a giant tortoise found on the Galápagos Islands is from a species which scientists thought had died out more than a century ago.
