Galapagos

18901-25003 Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) adult yawning, Bartolome Island *

18901-25001 Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) three adults loafing on rocks with Candelabra cactus (Jasminocereus thouarsii delicatus) on slopes behind. Santiago Island *

18901-36003 Great frigatebird (Fregata minor ridgwayi) displaying male at Darwin Bay, Genovesa Island, Galapagos *

18903-75013 Western Santa Cruz giant tortoise (Chelonoidis porteri) a race of giant tortoise from the moist highlands on the island of Santa Cruz, which displays a high 'dome' shaped shell, characteristic of the moist, higher islands. Santa Cruz giant tortoises are grasers, stretching their necks down to feed on the grassy sward. They were almost hunted to the point of extinction for their meat, by humans, while their habitat was eaten away by goats *

18903-75005 Western Santa Cruz giant tortoise (Chelonoidis porteri) a race of giant tortoise from the moist highlands on the island of Santa Cruz, which displays a high 'dome' shaped shell, characteristic of the moist, higher islands. Santa Cruz giant tortoises are grasers, stretching their necks down to feed on the grassy sward. They were almost hunted to the point of extinction for their meat, by humans, while their habitat was eaten away by goats *

18903-75021 Western Santa Cruz giant tortoise (Chelonoidis porteri) a race of giant tortoise from the moist highlands on the island of Santa Cruz, displaying the high 'dome' shaped shell, characteristic of the moist, higher islands. Santa Cruz giant tortoises are grazers, stretching their necks down to feed on the grassy sward. They were almost hunted to the point of extinction for their meat, by humans, while their habitat was eaten away by goats *

18903-80007 Espaniola giant tortoise (Chelonoidis hoodensis) a race of giant tortoise from the dry, arid island of Espaniola, displaying the 'saddleback' shaped shell, characteristic of dry islands. Espaniola giant tortoises are browsers, stretching their necks high in order to reach sparse dry vegetation growing overhead, as there is little to graze on the ground during hot months of the year. They were almost hunted to the point of extinction for their meat, by early sailors and fishermen, while their habitat has been eaten away by goats introduced from the mainland *

18903-80003 Espaniola giant tortoise (Chelonoidis hoodensis) a race of giant tortoise from the dry, arid island of Espaniola, displaying the 'saddleback' shaped shell, characteristic of dry islands. Espaniola giant tortoises are browsers, stretching their necks high in order to reach sparse dry vegetation growing overhead, as there is little to graze on the ground during hot months of the year. They were almost hunted to the point of extinction for their meat, by humans, while their habitat was eaten away by goats *

18903-80001 Pinta giant tortoise (Chelonoidis abingdoni) 'Lonesome George' seen here, was the last survivor of a race of Giant galapagos tortoises that once inhabited the island of Pinta, he was discovered living alone on Pinta in 1972. Rod was taken into his pen to photograph him on 28 April 2005. Seven years later Lonesome George died (25 June 2012), and the Pinta race finally became extinct. Pinta tortoises were hunted to the point of extinction for their meat, by sailors and fishermen, while their habitat has been eaten away by goats introduced from the mainland *

18903-65001 Espanola marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus venustissimus) male in breeding colours. Marine iguanas are the world's only sea-going lizards, of which there are seven subspecies, each varying considerably in size and colour from island to island. This is the most brightly coloured one, sometimes referred to as the 'Christmas iguana'. Males are highly coloured during the breeding season - around Christmas time each year. Espanola *

18909-19003 Opuntia cactus (Opuntia echios var. barringtonensis) emergent cactus trees on Santa Fe Island, Galapagos *