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Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise
Chelonoidis guntheri
Silhouette: Andrew A. Farke · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassTestudines
- FamilyTestudinidae (Tortoises)
- GenusChelonoidis (Galápagos Giant Tortoises and Allies)
- SpeciesChelonoidis guntheri (Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise)
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
148 Verified sightings at Galápagos Islands From 2019 to 2026
148 In 1 park
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
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About the Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise
Chelonoidis niger guentheri, commonly known as the Sierra Negra giant tortoise or Günther's giant tortoise, is a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise endemic to the Galápagos archipelago in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The specific epithet guentheri honours zoologist Albert Günther.
This tortoise is a subspecies of Chelonoidis niger, and is sometimes considered a distinct species. Male tortoises grow to about 120 cm (47 in) and females to about 92 cm (36 in) in length and may have either domed or flattened carapaces.
The tortoises graze on shrubs and low-growing herbaceous vegetation, consuming herbs, grass, cacti, lichens, and fruit. Male tortoises compete with each other by extending their necks, gaping, biting and shell-bumping. They produce loud guttural noises while mating. Females lay clutches of usually 6–11 (occasionally up to 17) eggs. Juvenile tortoises tend to remain in the warmer, lowland, part of the subspecies' range for the first 10–15 years of their lives.
The tortoise's range is limited to an area of about 800 km2 (310 sq mi) on the slopes of the Sierra Negra volcano... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Sierra Negra 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 Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise in Galápagos Islands?
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise sighting in Galápagos Islands on a given day, based on 148 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 31 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise in Galápagos Islands?
January, June and September–October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise in Galápagos Islands on a given day, against about 10% in February–May, July–August and November–December, the lowest months. Those are among Galápagos Islands's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain a month against 50 mm in March.
What time of day is best to see a Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise?
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sierra Negra 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 a Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise?
Only Galápagos Islands, in our data
Galápagos Islands is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Which relatives of the Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise live in Galápagos Islands?
Same genus: Chelonoidis
The closest relatives of the Sierra Negra 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 Chatham Island Giant Tortoise (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Galápagos Islands (148 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.
