Galapagos Adaptations

1. Galapagos Adaptations Exploring how species have adapted to their island environments over time.

2. Galapagos Animal Gallery • The paired photographs you will see depict similar animals of the same size. • Compare these images carefully. • List any differences you notice, no matter how small. • Briefly describe each animal’s habitat and diet.

3. (2006). Darwin & the Galapagos Islands. Retrieved January 4, 2007, from Go Visit Galapagos Web site: http://www.govisitgalapagos.com/darwin/default.asp National Science Teachers Association, NSTA Galapagos. Retrieved January 4, 2007, from Classroom Investigations: Galapagos Adaptations Web site: http://pubs.nsta.org/galapagos/activities/gallery/gallery2.html Marine Iguana Land Iguana

4. Marine Iguana (Jan 3, 2007). Photos/Mixed Selection. Retrieved January 9, 2007, from www.CQJ.dk Travelling, Sports Fishing & Photography Web site: http://www.cqj.dk/mix-photo-eng.htm Land Iguana (2007). Galapagos Pictures, Galapagos Wildlife. Retrieved January 9, 2007, from in-quito.com Galapagos Pictures Web site: http://www.in-quito.com/galapagos/pictures-2.htm

5. Marine Iguana • Is the only sea-going iguana in the world • Flat tail • Square nose • Dark coloration • Partially webbed feet • Coloration camouflages them in the dark lava on which they live • Enables iguanas of all ages to absorb more heat from the sun

6. Land Iguana • A large relative of the South American and Caribbean terrestrial iguana • Round tail • Pointed nose • Brownish-red in color on top • Yellow-orange underneath • Eats grass and other ground plants, especially the large prickly-pear cactus.

7. Lives near the water Lives in dry regions on land National Science Teachers Association, NSTA Galapagos. Retrieved January 4, 2007, from Classroom Investigations: Galapagos Adaptations Web site: http://pubs.nsta.org/galapagos/activities/gallery/gallery2.html (2006). Darwin & the Galapagos Islands. Retrieved January 4, 2007, from Go Visit Galapagos Web site: http://www.govisitgalapagos.com/darwin/default.asp Land Iguana Marine Iguana vs. • Long claws for gripping rocks • Short claws • Short snout • Long snout • Dark color • Light color

8. National Science Teachers Association, NSTA Galapagos. Retrieved January 4, 2007, from Classroom Investigations: Galapagos Adaptations Web site: http://pubs.nsta.org/galapagos/activities/gallery/gallery2.html National Science Teachers Association, NSTA Galapagos. Retrieved January 4, 2007, from Classroom Investigations: Galapagos Adaptations Web site: http://pubs.nsta.org/galapagos/activities/gallery/gallery2.html Saddleback Tortoise Domed Tortoise

9. Saddleback Tortoise (2007). Galapagos Islands Guided Tour. Retrieved January 9, 2007, from AGalapagos Islands Guided Tour - Isla Santa Cruz, Ecuador Web site: http://www.discovergalapagos.com/santacru.html Domed Tortoise (2006). Tortoise T-Shirts. Retrieved January 9, 2007, from JungleWalk.com Gifts for Animal Lovers Web site: http://www.junglewalk.com/shop/Tortoise-t-shirts.htm

10. Saddleback Tortoise • One of the major groups of giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands • Arched carapace (shell) in the front • Long legs • Long snout • Long neck that allows it to reach for its food high above the ground • Found in the dry areas of Espanola, Pinzon, Pinta, and Fernandina Islands

11. Domed Tortoise • One of the major groups of giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands • Rounded shell • Blunt snout • Shorter neck • Found on islands with rich vegetation (like Santa Cruz and Isabela) • Larger and heavier • Rounded shell allows it to move through the thick vegetation more easily than the saddleback tortoise

12. Lives in dry region Lives in an area of thick vegetation National Science Teachers Association, NSTA Galapagos. Retrieved January 4, 2007, from Classroom Investigations: Galapagos Adaptations Web site: http://pubs.nsta.org/galapagos/activities/gallery/gallery2.html National Science Teachers Association, NSTA Galapagos. Retrieved January 4, 2007, from Classroom Investigations: Galapagos Adaptations Web site: http://pubs.nsta.org/galapagos/activities/gallery/gallery2.html Saddleback Tortoise Domed Tortoise vs. • Eats leaves high in trees • Eats grasses and leaves close to ground • Highly arched shell opening • Low, rounded shell opening • Short neck • Long neck • Short legs • Long legs

13. National Science Teachers Association, NSTA Galapagos. Retrieved January 4, 2007, from Classroom Investigations: Galapagos Adaptations Web site: http://pubs.nsta.org/galapagos/activities/gallery/gallery2.html National Science Teachers Association, NSTA Galapagos. Retrieved January 4, 2007, from Classroom Investigations: Galapagos Adaptations Web site: http://pubs.nsta.org/galapagos/activities/gallery/gallery2.html Flightless Cormorant Cormorant

14. Flightless Cormorant (2007). Flightless Cormorant. Retrieved January 9, 2007, from ARKive: Images of Life on Earth Web site: http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/birds/Phalacrocorax_harrisi/ Cormorant (2007). Cormorant Showing Off Photo. Retrieved January 9, 2007, from TrekNature Web site: http://www.treknature.com/gallery/North_America/Canada/photo45462.htm

15. Flightless Cormorant • Found only in the Galapagos • Dark with black coloration above and brown underneath • Streamlined body, thick neck, larger beak • Strong legs • Sparsely feathered vestigial wings • The wings are small and useless for flight • Webbed feet • Uses its strong legs and webbed feet to swim and capture fish, eels, and octopuses

16. Cormorant • 28 other living species of cormorants, all of which use their wings for flight • Well-developed wing muscles, making their bodies thicker than the flightless cormorant • Legs are much more refined because they do not use them for swimming that much • Eat mainly fish • Thin neck, smaller beak

17. Found only in the Galapagos Not found in the Galapagos National Science Teachers Association, NSTA Galapagos. Retrieved January 4, 2007, from Classroom Investigations: Galapagos Adaptations Web site: http://pubs.nsta.org/galapagos/activities/gallery/gallery2.html National Science Teachers Association, NSTA Galapagos. Retrieved January 4, 2007, from Classroom Investigations: Galapagos Adaptations Web site: http://pubs.nsta.org/galapagos/activities/gallery/gallery2.html Flightless Cormorant vs. Cormorant • Long, well-developed wings • Small, vestigial wings • Streamlined body for swimming • Heavier body • Thick, strong legs for swimming • Slender Legs

18. Looking at Habitat Adaptations • Choose one animal from each pair. • Explain how the traits you observed may help the animal survive or thrive in its habitat. • Give at least three examples of different traits and explain each one.

19. Final Questions • How have isolation and the unique conditions of the Galapagos Islands given rise to the unusual features of Galapagos animals? • Would they survive if they were introduced into similar ecosystems elsewhere in the world? • What kind of adaptations would allow existing Galapagos animals to survive in other habitats around the world? (Remember, organisms can’t adapt because they want to or need to.)