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KOMPAS.com – Species kura-kura Fernandina Island giant is estimated to be extinct since 100 years ago.
But good news came from researchers who revealed that the species was found still alive on the island of Fernandina, Galapagos which is their habitat.
The discovery marks the first time researchers have found a species of Fernandina Island turtle (Chelonoidis phantasticus) for more than a century.
Quoted from New ScientistFriday (10/6/2022) biologists found the turtle which was later named Fernanda on the westernmost island of the Galapagos archipelago in 2019.
This female Fernanda is the second turtle found on the island after a male was also found there in 1906.
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When seeing it for the first time, researchers had doubts that Fernanda was a species kura-kura raksasa Pulau Fernandina.
Because the nearby islands also host other giant tortoise species.
So it could be that Fernanda was moved from a nearby island by humans or carried away during a storm.
Moreover, Fernanda also does not have the characteristic of a saddle-shaped shell like that of a male turtle found previously.
So, to determine what species of turtle it was, Stephen Gaughran of Princeton University in New Jersey and his colleagues then compared its DNA with 13 species. Galapagos giant tortoise other known.
Read also: Descendants of Extinct Giant Tortoise Found in Galapagos
The results of the analysis revealed that Fernanda’s DNA was very different from a species of Galapagos giant tortoise other.
This result also shows Fernanda as the only Fernandina Island giant tortoise that is still alive.
Even so, researchers hope that there are other Fernandina Island turtles that survive on the island.
Researchers have found evidence of droppings, but unfortunately this uninhabited volcanic island is difficult to access, making the search for the surviving turtles a challenge.
“Our hope is that there are still a few other turtles on the island. But it’s likely that there won’t be many,” said Gaughran.
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If researchers can find another male, the Fernandina Island tortoise may also be able to breed again and survive the brink of extinction.
Fernanda himself is thought to be over 50 years old but could live to be around 200 years old.
This can be a positive thing because it can give scientists time to find a suitable match for him.
Until now Fernanda is under the supervision of experts at the Galapagos Tortoise Center which is managed by the Directorate of Galapagos National Parks.
The findings of the Galapagos giant tortoise on Fernandina Island have been published in the journal Communication Biology.
Read also: Giant Tortoise Thought To Be Extinct Found Again in Ecuador
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