Galápagos tortoise species thought extinct for 100 years found alive

Identification of a fantastic giant tortoise on the island celebrated by scientists as a big deal for island's biodiversityA rare Galápagos species, the fantastic giant tortoise, long thought extinct, has been officially identified for the first time in more than a century in what scientists called a "big deal" for the famed islands' embattled biodiversity.The animal is the first Chelonoidis phantasticus to be seen since a male specimen was discovered by the explorer Rollo Beck during an expedition in 1906. The newcomer has been named Fernanda, after the Fernandina Island, a largely unexplored active volcano in the western Galápagos Archipelago that she calls home. Continue reading...