This tortoise is also known as the 'Lonesome George' as it is the lonliest animal in the WHOLE WIDE world. There is only 1 more species of this tortoise. Sniff sniff...
George was first seen on the island of Pinta on 1 December 1971 by Hungarian malacologist József Vágvölgyi. The island's vegetation had been devastated by introduced feral goats, and the indigenous G. n. abingdoni population had been reduced to a single individual. Relocated for his safety to the Charles Darwin Researc Station, George was penned with two females of a different subspecies, but although eggs have been produced, none has hatched.
George is estimated to be 60–90 years of age, and is in good health. A prolonged effort to exterminate goats introduced to Pinta is now complete and the vegetation of the island is starting to return to its former state.
The presence of mixed race Pinta ancestry tortoises around Wolf Volcano, on neighbouring Isabela island, suggests the recent presence of at least one Pinta individual near Wolf Volcano. A possible purebreed Pinta candidate, male and dubbed "Tony", lives in a Prague.
Reproduction Attempts:
Attempts at mating Lonesome George have been unsuccessful for several decades, possibly due to the lack of any females of his own subspecies, and have prompted researchers at the Darwin Station to offer a $10,000 reward for a suitable mate.
George is currently penned with two females of a different subspecies, Geochelone nigra becki from the Wolf Volcano region of Isabela island, in the hope that his genotype would be retained in the resulting progeny. This subspecies was thought to be genetically closest to George's; however any offspring successfully hatched from George and his consorts would be intergrades, not purebreds of the Pinta subspecies.
On July 21, 2008, it was reported that George had unexpectedly mated with one of his female companions. A total of thirteen eggs were collected and placed in incubators. However, on November 11, 2008, The Charles Foundation reported that 80% of the eggs showed weight loss characteristic of being inviable. To the disappointment of the Darwin Center, by December 2008 the remaining eggs had failed to hatch and x-rays showed them to be inviable.
On 21 July 2009, exactly one year after first announcing George had mated, the Galapagos National Park announced that a second clutch of five eggs had been laid by one of George's female companions. The park authority expressed its hope that the second clutch of eggs, which it described as being in perfect condition, might prove to be fertile. The eggs have been moved to an incubator. "Now we have to wait for the incubation period of 120 days to find out whether they are fertile", the Galapagos National Park has said.0 On December 16, it was announced that the incubation period for the first 5 eggs had ended and the eggs were shown to unfortunately be inviable; also a second batch of 6 eggs laid after the first batch by the other female are looking like they might also end up being inviable.
So, If you all do not want other species of animals to end like George,PLEASE START CONSERVING WILDLIFE!
(Thank You!)
Source Adapted from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonesome_George
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