"When they get scared, they pee themselves, " Mr. Henen said, referring to the tortoises.
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The tortoises themselves used to be carried on board to serve as living larders.
"In essence, the live-fire ranges are protection for the tortoises, " he said, looking at a patch of ground where bullets often rain down but rarely hit the burrowing reptile.
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The giant tortoises of the Galapagos helped Charles Darwin formulate his theory of evolution after he visited the islands in the 1830s, on his five year voyage aboard HMS Beagle.
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The giant tortoises, mockingbirds and finches varied from island to island, and this became clearer to Darwin after London Zoo's bird expert John Gould analysed his finches in January 1837.
The Radiated and Ploughshare tortoises were on the last leg of their journey to pet shops and possibly cooking pots, Malaysian officials believe.
But despite the best efforts of conservationists -- and the presence of two female giant tortoises from a close subspecies sharing his enclosure at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz -- George remained a solitary creature.
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During one such dawdling period of evaluation, some 2, 800 Kleinmann's tortoises became the object of legal barter a number representing half the total estimated population of that species.
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He has used his knowledge of the flora and fauna to assist in its return, with wallabies, frogs and tortoises coming back to the forest and lakes as they are restored to their natural state.
These days, both tourists and researchers flock to the islands to see giant tortoises that can live 150 years, marine iguanas that dive to find dinner, flightless cormorants, and penguins that somehow thrive near the equator.
Using informed but clear language, she guides the reader through Darwin's own encounters with giant tortoises, iguanas and finches on these islands in the 1830s that led him, years later, to formulate his theories about the origin and evolution of species.
"For every one in a shelter, there are countless sulcata tortoises living happily in the backyards of America causing no problems, making a lot of people happy, " says Tyler Stewart, owner of TortoiseSupply.com, a breeder in Las Vegas.
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Besides getting super close to seals, penguins, flamingos, sea lions and giant tortoises, one other appeal of the land-based trips is (at least for those prone to seasickness) guests sleep in hotels every night.
When I visited the construction site last October, biologists has discovered more tortoises than had been found in previous surveys.
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Originally planned to provide 850 megawatts of electricity generated by 30, 000 solar dishes standing 40 feet high, the project was scaled back over concern about impacts on desert tortoises.
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But with the help of some high-tech tracking devices, a fan-friendly Web site and a little star power, conservation officials are hoping a contest among 11 leatherback tortoises will raise awareness, and some money, for the critically endangered species.
Proposals on a large number of Asian freshwater turtles and tortoises and other species popular with pet owners were accepted by the government negotiators meeting in the Thai capital.
In all, 44 species of Asian freshwater turtles and tortoises and three species of North American pond turtles were upgraded in the eyes of the convention, meaning that their trade will be more carefully regulated.
On his new island, he wasn't truly alone: what with 180, 000 tourists a year, 20, 000 other tortoises, a team of scientists watching his every move, and journalists fighting on the bridge beside his pen.
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