{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "galapagos-tortoise",
  "name": "Galápagos Tortoise",
  "scientificName": "Chelonoidis niger",
  "category": "Reptile",
  "summary": "The Galápagos tortoise (Chelonoidis niger) is the world's largest living tortoise, found only on the volcanic Galápagos Islands off Ecuador. Adults can weigh up to 250 kg (550 lb) and carry a shell up to 1.2 m (4 ft) long. These slow, plant-eating giants are famously long-lived, often surviving well over 100 years, and are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.",
  "conservationStatus": "Vulnerable",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Reptilia",
    "order": "Testudines",
    "family": "Testudinidae",
    "genus": "Chelonoidis"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 250,
    "lengthM": 1.2,
    "topSpeedKmh": 0.3,
    "lifespanYears": 130
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Chelonoidis niger"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Herbivore"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Volcanic islands, grasslands, and scrub"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "Over 100 years"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "Up to 250 kg (550 lb) or more"
    },
    {
      "label": "Size",
      "value": "Shell up to 1.2 m (4 ft) long"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Vulnerable (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Found only on the Galápagos Islands, a volcanic archipelago off the coast of Ecuador.",
    "continents": [
      "South America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Chelonoidis niger.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Chelonoidis%20niger&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Chelonoidis niger. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Chelonoidis_niger/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Galápagos Tortoise.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floreana_giant_tortoise"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/galapagos-tortoise/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/galapagos-tortoise/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}