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Alcedo Volcano Giant Tortoise
Chelonoidis vandenburghi
Silhouette: Andrew A. Farke · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassTestudines
- FamilyTestudinidae (Tortoises)
- GenusChelonoidis (Galápagos Giant Tortoises and Allies)
- SpeciesChelonoidis vandenburghi (Alcedo Volcano Giant Tortoise)
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
63 Verified sightings at Galápagos Islands From 2019 to 2026
63 In 1 park
March Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
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About the Alcedo Volcano Giant Tortoise
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.
This tortoise is a subspecies of Chelonoidis niger, and is sometimes considered to be a distinct species itself. Male tortoises grow to about 129 cm (51 in) and females to about 90 cm (35 in) in length, with domed carapaces.
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.
The tortoises feed on grass, leaves, forbs, sedges, fruit and lichens, obtaining water from their diet and pools of rainwater. Male tortoises compete with each other by extending their necks, gaping, biting and pushing. They utter loud guttural noises while mating. Females... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Alcedo Volcano Giant Tortoise in Galápagos Islands
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Closest Relatives at Galápagos Islands
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing an Alcedo Volcano Giant Tortoise in Galápagos Islands?
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Alcedo Volcano Giant Tortoise sighting in Galápagos Islands on a given day, based on 63 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 21st most-seen of the 31 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see an Alcedo Volcano Giant Tortoise in Galápagos Islands?
September to July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Alcedo Volcano Giant Tortoise in Galápagos Islands on a given day, against under 5% in August, the lowest month.
What time of day is best to see an Alcedo Volcano Giant Tortoise?
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Alcedo Volcano Giant Tortoise sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Where else can you see an Alcedo Volcano Giant Tortoise?
Only Galápagos Islands, in our data
Galápagos Islands is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Alcedo Volcano Giant Tortoise sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Which relatives of the Alcedo Volcano Giant Tortoise live in Galápagos Islands?
Same genus: Chelonoidis
The closest relatives of the Alcedo Volcano Giant Tortoise that you can see in Galápagos Islands (genus Chelonoidis, Galápagos Giant Tortoises and Allies) are Galápagos Giant Tortoise (about 50%), Indefatigable Island Giant Tortoise (about 40%) and Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Alcedo Volcano Giant Tortoise sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Alcedo Volcano Giant Tortoise is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Galápagos Islands (63 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
