Reptiles - Galápagos

By Karey Fuhs

Reptiles dominate the animal scene in the Galápagos, due to their ability to cross long distances (i.e. from the mainland to the archipelago) without food or water. Giant tortoises and large land iguanas play the ecological role of larger mammals on the mainland. There are 23 species of Galápagos reptiles, 21 of which are endemic to the archipelago. In 2009, the Galapagos Pink Iguana was identified as a separate species, which split off from other iguana species about 5-6 million years ago.

Ask any biologist, and he or she will tell you that the Marine Iguana is the most special of the Galapagos reptiles: no other lizard species eats underwater. As you visit different islands, you'll see a variety of Lava Lizards: they're everywhere, and different on practiacally each island. Lucky snorkelers or divers will have a close enocunter with a Green Sea Turtle, one of the more spectacular Galapagos marine species.

Galapagos is also home to a harmless endemic snake which can be occasionally spotted at several visitor sites.