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Endangered Galapagos Tortoises Prefer To Eat Invasive Plants

Galapagos Tortoise Eating

Scientists have discovered that giant tortoises on one of the Galapagos Islands prefer to consume foreign vegetation over that of the local variety, according to a recent study.

In the study — which was conducted by Stephen Blake, PhD, with the Washington University in St. Louis, and Fredy Cabrera with the Charles Darwin Foundation in the Galapagos — the pair studied tortoises on the island of Santa Cruz; an island formed by a now-extinct volcano with a large population of humans.

Blake indicated that the results of their study weren’t all that surprising, as he was quoted by Discovery News as having cited the example of a native guava which “produces small fruits containing large seeds and a small amount of relatively bitter pulp in a thick skin,” whereas the “introduced guava is large and contains abundant sweet pulp in a thin, pliable skin.”

Consider it from a tortoise’s point of view […] The native guava, for example, produces small fruits containing large seeds and a small amount of relatively bitter pulp in a thick skin. The introduced guava is large and contains abundant sweet pulp in a thin, pliable skin.

The study, which was published in the March issue of the journal Biotropica, found that the endangered tortoises allocated more of their time foraging among non-native vegetation, but it only accounted for about half of their overall diet.

In regards to the beneficial impact the tortoises might have when it comes to eradicating and controlling invasive species, researcher Blake indicated that the eradication of “the more than 750 species of invasive plants is all but impossible, and even control is difficult” but fortunately the “tortoise conservation seems to be compatible with the presence of some introduced species.”

Biodiversity conservation is a huge problem confronting managers on the Galapagos Islands  […] Eradicating the more than 750 species of invasive plants is all but impossible, and even control is difficult. Fortunately, tortoise conservation seems to be compatible with the presence of some introduced species.

Florida wildlife officials are warning visitors to the state as well as its residents not to put the gopher tortoise in the water because there’s a chance it will drown, as it doesn’t swim well. So if you see one, don’t make the mistake of trying to help it into the water.

What are your thoughts on the endangered Galapagos tortoises from the island of Santa Cruz and their impact on the environment?

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