Galapagos Adaptations

1
Galapagos Adaptations

• Exploring how species have adapted to their
  island environments over time.

2
Galapagos Animal Gallery

• The paired photographs you will see depict
  similar animals of the same size.
• Compare these images carefully.
• List any differences you notice, no matter how
  small.
• Briefly describe each animals habitat and diet.

3
Marine Iguana
Land Iguana
4
Marine Iguana
(Jan 3, 2007). Photos/Mixed Selection. Retrieved
January 9, 2007, from www.CQJ.dk Travelling,
Sports Fishing Photography Web site
http//www.cqj.dk/mix-photo-eng.htm
Land Iguana
(2007). Galapagos Pictures, Galapagos Wildlife.
Retrieved January 9, 2007, from in-quito.com
Galapagos Pictures Web site http//www.in-quito.c
om/galapagos/pictures-2.htm
5
Saddleback Tortoise
Domed Tortoise
6
Saddleback Tortoise
(2007). Galapagos Islands Guided Tour. Retrieved
January 9, 2007, from AGalapagos Islands Guided
Tour - Isla Santa Cruz, Ecuador Web site
http//www.discovergalapagos.com/santacru.html
Domed Tortoise
(2006). Tortoise T-Shirts. Retrieved January 9,
2007, from JungleWalk.com Gifts for Animal Lovers
Web site http//www.junglewalk.com/shop/Tortoise-
t-shirts.htm
7
Flightless Cormorant
Cormorant
8
Flightless Cormorant
(2007). Flightless Cormorant. Retrieved January
9, 2007, from ARKive Images of Life on Earth Web
site http//www.arkive.org/species/GES/birds/Phal
acrocorax_harrisi/
Cormorant
(2007). Cormorant Showing Off Photo. Retrieved
January 9, 2007, from TrekNature Web site
http//www.treknature.com/gallery/North_America/Ca
nada/photo45462.htm
9
Marine Iguana

• Is the only sea-going iguana in the world
• Flat tail
• Square nose
• Dark coloration
• Partially webbed feet
• Coloration camouflages them in the dark lava on
  which they live
• Enables iguanas of all ages to absorb more heat
  from the sun

10
Land Iguana

• A large relative of the South American and
  Caribbean terrestrial iguana
• Round tail
• Pointed nose
• Brownish-red in color on top
• Yellow-orange underneath
• Eats grass and other ground plants, especially
  the large prickly-pear cactus.

11
Marine Iguana
Land Iguana
vs.

• Lives near the water

• Lives in dry regions on land

• Long claws for gripping rocks

• Short claws

• Short snout

• Long snout

• Dark color

• Light color

12
Saddleback Tortoise

• One of the major groups of giant tortoises in the
  Galapagos Islands
• Arched carapace (shell) in the front
• Long legs
• Long snout
• Long neck that allows it to reach for its food
  high above the ground
• Found in the dry areas of Espanola, Pinzon,
  Pinta, and Fernandina Islands

13
Domed Tortoise

• One of the major groups of giant tortoises in the
  Galapagos Islands
• Rounded shell
• Blunt snout
• Shorter neck
• Found on islands with rich vegetation (like Santa
  Cruz and Isabela)
• Larger and heavier
• Rounded shell allows it to move through the thick
  vegetation more easily than the saddleback
  tortoise

14
vs.
Saddleback Tortoise
Domed Tortoise

• Lives in an area of thick vegetation

• Lives in dry region

• Eats leaves high in trees

• Eats grasses and leaves close to ground

• Highly arched shell opening

• Low, rounded shell opening

• Short neck

• Long neck

• Short legs

• Long legs

15
Flightless Cormorant

• Found only in the Galapagos
• Dark with black coloration above and brown
  underneath
• Streamlined body
• Strong legs
• Sparsely feathered vestigial wings
• The wings are small and useless for flight
• Webbed feet
• Uses its strong legs and webbed feet to swim and
  capture fish, eels, and octopuses

16
Cormorant

• 28 other living species of cormorants, all of
  which use their wings for flight
• Well-developed wing muscles, making their bodies
  thicker than the flightless cormorant
• Legs are much more refined because they do not
  use them for swimming that much
• Eat mainly fish

17
Flightless Cormorant
vs.
Cormorant

• Found only in the Galapagos

• Not found in the Galapagos

• Long, well-developed wings

• Small, vestigial wings

• Streamlined body for swimming

• Heavier body

• Thick, strong legs for swimming

• Slender Legs

18
Looking at Habitat Adaptations

• Choose one animal from each pair.
• Explain how the traits you observed may help the
  animal survive or thrive in its habitat.
• Give at least three examples of different traits
  and explain each one.

19
Final Questions

• How have isolation and the unique conditions of
  the Galapagos Islands given rise to the unusual
  features of Galapagos animals?
• Would they survive if they were introduced into
  similar ecosystems elsewhere in the world?
• What kind of adaptations would allow existing
  Galapagos animals to survive in other habitats
  around the world? (Remember, organisms cant
  adapt because they want to or need to.)