Pinta Island tortoise (SciiFii)

The Pinta Island tortoise (Chelonoidis abingdonii), also known as the Pinta giant tortoise, Abingdon Island tortoise, or Abingdon Island giant tortoise, is a species of Galápagos tortoise native to Ecuador's Pinta Island that was once extinct since the death of Lonesome George, but after the discovery of first-generation hybrids of Pinta Island tortoises and due to SciiFii extracting DNA of deceased Pinta Island tortoises such as Lonesome George himself, the 100% purebred Pinta Island was brought back after being extinct for some time. In the wild, like all species of Galápagos tortoises, the Pinta Island tortoises rest about 16 hours a day. Pinta Island tortoises are herbivores, feeding primarily on greens, grasses, native fruit, and cactus pads. They drink large quantities of water, which they can then store in their bodies for long periods of time for later use. They can survive up to six months without food or water. For breeding, the wild Pinta Island tortoises are most active during the hot season (January to May). During the cool season (June to November), female tortoises migrate to nesting zones to lay their eggs. Galápagos giant tortoises, including the Pinta Island species, represent the top herbivores in the Galápagos, and as such they shape the entire island ecosystem. They provide critical ecosystem services by dispersing seeds and by acting as ecological engineers through herbivory and nutrient cycling. The conservation status of Pinta Island Tortoise is Vunerable due to the now-extinct goats, pigs, mice, and rats on the Galápagos, who once hunted baby tortoises and ate their eggs, but thanks to their eradication by conservationists, the Galápagos giant tortoises, including the Pinta Island tortoises, are now invasive predator-free once more. Due to demand for pet tortoises much bigger than African spurred tortoises, SciiFii created a new subspecies of Pinta Island tortoises known as the Galápagos domestic tortoise (Chelonoidis abingdonii domesticus), which is only slightly bigger than its wild ancestors on average, and are about as easy to care for as the African spurred tortoises, therefore, it is a common large reptilian pet.p
Category:Animals
Category:SciiFii
Category:Reptiles
Category:Cenozoic Park