Hood Island giant tortoise

Subspecies of turtle

Hood Island giant tortoise

Conservation status
Critically Endangered (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. hoodensis
Trinomial name
*Chelonoidis niger hoodensis* (Van Denburgh, 1907)^[3]
Synonyms
Testudo hoodensis Van Denburgh, 1907 Geochelone nigra hoodensis (Van Denburgh, 1907)

The Hood Island giant tortoise (Chelonoidis niger hoodensis)^[1] is a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise endemic to Española Island in the Galápagos.

Population history

This population was very heavily exploited by whalers in the 19th century and collapsed around 1850. 13 adults were found in the early 1970s and held at the Charles Darwin Research Station as a breeding colony. The two males and 11 females were initially brought to the Darwin Station. Fortuitously, a third male (Diego) was discovered at the San Diego Zoo and joined the others in a captive breeding program. Mating had not occurred naturally for some time, because the individuals were so scattered that they did not meet. Following the successful captive breeding program, large numbers have been released back into the wild and are now breeding on their own with the population reaching over 2,300 individuals as of August, 2020.^[4]

Description

It is one of the smallest subspecies of Galápagos tortoise. Its black, saddle-backed carapace has a deep cervical indentation, the anterior rim only weakly upturned, and posterior marginals downturned and slightly serrated. It is narrow anteriorly and wider posteriorly.

Etymology

Its subspecies name, composed of hood and the Latin suffix -ensis: "who lives in", was given in reference to the place of its discovery, Española Island, which is also called Hood Island.

References

^ ^a ^b Cayot, L.J.; Gibbs, J.P.; Tapia, W.; Caccone, A. (2017). "Chelonoidis hoodensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T9024A82777079. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T9024A82777079.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
^ Van Denburgh, John (1907). "Preliminary descriptions of four new races of gigantic land tortoises from the Galapagos Islands". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 4th series. 1: 1–6.
^ Gibbs; Hunter; Torres-Carvajal; Shoemaker; Tapia; Cayot (2014). "Demographic Outcomes and Ecosystem Implications of Giant Tortoise Reintroduction to Española Island, Galapagos". PLOS ONE. 9 (11): e114048. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...9k0742G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0110742. PMC 4211691. PMID 25350744.

Van Denburgh, 1907 : Expedition of the California Academy of Sciences to the Galapagos Islands, 1905–1906. I. Preliminary descriptions of four new races of gigantic land tortoises from the Galapagos Islands. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, ser. 4, vol. 1, p. 1–6 (texte intégral).

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

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

†Hadrianus

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

†Hesperotestudo

†Hesperotestudo percrassa

Pancake tortoise

Pyxis

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

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.

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
Chelonoidis hoodensis	Wikidata: Q2391334 CoL: TVLD GBIF: 7859010 iNaturalist: 146005 ITIS: 949453 IUCN: 9024 NCBI: 106733 Open Tree of Life: 1090883 RD: hoodensis
Testudo hoodensis	Wikidata: Q50380535 GBIF: 2441590 IRMNG: 10367681