Completed
Chatham Island Giant Tortoise
Chelonoidis chathamensis
Silhouette: Andrew A. Farke · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassTestudines
- FamilyTestudinidae (Tortoises)
- GenusChelonoidis (Galápagos Giant Tortoises and Allies)
- SpeciesChelonoidis chathamensis (Chatham Island Giant Tortoise)
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
87 Verified sightings at Galápagos Islands From 2019 to 2026
87 In 1 park
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
Completed
Completed
About the Chatham Island Giant Tortoise
Chelonoidis niger chathamensis, commonly known as the Chatham Island giant tortoise or the San Cristóbal giant tortoise, is a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise endemic to San Cristóbal Island in the Galápagos. The subspecies was heavily exploited and eliminated over much of its original range. Trampling of nests by feral donkeys, and the predation of hatchlings by feral dogs decimated populations, but the breeding program has led to successful releases.
Fencing of nests and dog eradication in the 1970s helped in the population recovery. Their population is thought to have dropped to as low as 500-700 individuals in the 1970s, and was around 24,000 prior to human contact. In a census conducted in November 2016, the population was found to be making a rapid recovery. A total of around 6,700 individuals were found, with around 2,700 mature adults and 3,750 juveniles.
Breeding centers such as the Galapaguera of Cerro Colorado were established in order to encourage captive reproduction of the endangered Galapagos tortoise. They were then released in their areas of origin to recover the wild populations.
It has a wide, black shell, its shape intermediate... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Chatham Island 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 a Chatham Island Giant Tortoise in Galápagos Islands?
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Chatham Island Giant Tortoise sighting in Galápagos Islands on a given day, based on 87 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 20th most-seen of the 31 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Chatham Island Giant Tortoise in Galápagos Islands?
October
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Chatham Island Giant Tortoise in Galápagos Islands on a given day, against under 5% in March, the lowest month. That is one of Galápagos Islands's driest months, with almost no rain against 50 mm in March.
What time of day is best to see a Chatham Island Giant Tortoise?
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chatham Island Giant Tortoise sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Where else can you see a Chatham Island Giant Tortoise?
Only Galápagos Islands, in our data
Galápagos Islands is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Chatham Island Giant Tortoise sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Which relatives of the Chatham Island Giant Tortoise live in Galápagos Islands?
Same genus: Chelonoidis
The closest relatives of the Chatham Island 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 Chatham Island Giant Tortoise sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Chatham Island Giant Tortoise is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Galápagos Islands (87 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.
