Marine Turtles, Geckos, and Snakes

by Todd Metcalfe

Marine Turtles
There is one main species of sea turtle that lives in the Galápagos Islands, the Pacific green turtle, Chelonia mydas agassisi. Green sea turtles may reach 150 kg (330 lbs), though the normal range is between 50 and 100 kg (110 and 220 lbs). The female is larger then the males, and during mating the male actually hangs onto the female's back. The male also has a longer tail. For more on marine life, click here.

Right: Picture of Chelonia mydas agassisi, Pacific Green sea Turtle.

Geckos
These small nocturnal animals are rarely seen by visitors. During the day they are inactive and stay under rocks and branches. There are six native species in the islands, and three other introduced species. The native species are all members of the genus Phyllodactulus , and the introduced species are Gonatodes caudiscutatus, Phyllodactlyus reissi, and Lepidodactylus lugubris. We did not see any geckos while visiting the islands, in part because at night we were on board the boat.

Snakes
There are three species of snakes in the islands, Philodryas biserialis, Alsophis dorsalis, and A slevini. They eat lava lizards, geckos, rats, grasshoppers, and young marine iguanas. They are preyed upon by the Galápagos Hawk. We did not see any snakes on our trip. Click here for a picture.

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