Galapagos Islands

1. Galapagos Islands

2. Where are the Galapagos Islands located? • Located in Pacific Ocean, North West of South America. • 600 miles from Ecuador

3. Climate • The climate at the Galapagos Islands is subtropical. What does subtropical mean? Temperatures and rainfall fluctuate all year round. What biome has more rainfall and warmer temperatures all year round? Tropical rainforest

4. Video showing appearance of Islands. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMIltYbSXBg • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oW-xUOxRrE&feature=related

5. Examples of organisms that Darwin observed: • Land Tortoises • Darwin Finches • Flightless Cormorant • Marine Iguanas

6. Take notes- 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.

7. Two types of Iguana’s that we are going to discuss: 1. Land Iguana

8. Land Iguana • A large relative of the South American and Caribbean terrestrial iguana. • Can grow 3 ft. in length. • Round tail • Pointed nose • Small claws • Brownish-red in color on top, yellow-orange underneath. • Eats grass and other ground plants, especially the large prickly-pear cactus.

9. 2. Marine Iguana

10. Marine Iguana • Is the only sea-going iguana in the world • Flat tail • Short square nose • Dark coloration • Partially webbed feet • Large claws

11. Lives near the water Lives in dry regions on land Land Iguana Marine Iguana vs. • Long claws for gripping rocks • Short claws • Short snout • Long snout • Dark color • Light color

12. How do the adaptations help the Land Iguana’s? • Why Small claws? It helps them climb trees

13. How do the adaptations help the Marine Iguana’s? • How does dark body coloring help? Coloration camouflages them in the dark lava on which they live. Enables iguanas of all ages to absorb more heat from the sun. 2. Why the large claws and short snout? Large claws and short snout help them hold onto the rocks when they eat the seaweed and algae on the rocks. 3. How does the partially webbed feet help? Helps the Iguana swim and eat sea weed and algae of off rocks.

14. 2 Types of Galapagos Tortoises found: The Galapagos tortoise comes in three versions, which are distinguished by the shape of their shells, sizes, colors and behavior:1. Saddle-Backed: Mostly found on the lower drier islands. They have raised shells, long necks and limbs.2. Dome-Shaped: Found on the upper parts of the islands, where plant growth is dense and thick. They have round shaped shells, very short necks and limbs.http://www.answers.com/topic/gal-pagos-tortoise

15. Video Galapagos Island Tortoise http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AtkLbEQz5g&feature=related

16. Saddleback Tortoise ( Domed Tortoise (

17. Saddleback Tortoises • Arched carapace (shell) in the front • Thin Long legs • Long snout • Long neck • Found in the dry areas of Espanola, Pinzon, Pinta, and Fernandina Islands

18. Domed Tortoise • Rounded shell. • Blunt snout. • Shorter neck. • Found on islands with rich vegetation (like Santa Cruz and Isabela). • Eats grasses closer to ground.

19. Lives in dry region Lives in an area of thick vegetation 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

20. How do the adaptations help the Saddleback Tortoise? • Why the Arched carapace (shell) in the front and long necks? The raised front of the carapace (shell) allows saddleback tortoises to reach greater heights to eat food such as cactus pads that might otherwise be out of reach.

21. How do the adaptations help the Doomed Tortoise? • Why the heavy and round shell? Allows it to move through the thick vegetation more easily than the saddleback tortoise (think of a tank).

22. Flightless Cormorant Cormorant

23. http://www.pinoy24videos.com/video/fcd0106302a6907/RDF-TV--Vestigial-Organs-The-Wings-of-the-Flightless-Cormorant--Richard-Dawkinshttp://www.pinoy24videos.com/video/fcd0106302a6907/RDF-TV--Vestigial-Organs-The-Wings-of-the-Flightless-Cormorant--Richard-Dawkins

24. Flightless Cormorant • Found only on the Galapagos Islands • It is the only cormorant that has lost the ability to fly. • Dark with black coloration above and brown underneath. • Streamlined body. • Strong legs. • Sparsely feathered vestigial wings. • Webbed feet

25. 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 as much. • Eat mainly fish.

26. Found only in the Galapagos Not found in the Galapagos Flightless Cormorant vs. Cormorant • Long, well-developed wings • Small, vestigial wings • Streamlined body for swimming • Heavier body • Thick, strong legs for swimming • Slender Legs

27. How do the adaptations help the flightless cormorant? 1. Why do they have webbed feet? Webbed feet and powerful legs that propel it through ocean waters as it seeks fish, eels, octopus, and other small creatures. 2. What does it mean when you say vestigial wings? The wings are small and useless for flight.

28. Finches on the Galapagos Islands • Finches were noticeably different from one island to the next. • The most obvious difference was in the size and shapes of the beaks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k2UxiHREUM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBJDAXaCh24

29. Why do you think the birds on different islands have different shaped beaks? • They had adapted to the different food sources on their specific islands. • It also eliminated the competition for the same food source.

30. Types of beaks observed: Small, narrow, needle like beaks for eating insects. Large, strong, wide beaks for opening seeds

31. Field Guide Project You will learn more about the unique species of the Galapagos Islands by preparing your own field guide. Directions: •  You are responsible for preparing a field guide for the Galapagos Islands. • You will research species found on the Galapagos Islands, and learn more about the marine life, land-dwellers and birds that inhabit many of the islands. • You will need to provide a map of each Galapagos Islands where your animal(s) was found and provide a brief description and illustration of the island's physical habitat. • You will then choose four different forms of wildlife (you may use two previously mentioned in class). Use the website and other resources to complete the following field guide, you will need to complete the following information for each species:

32. You must include: • Picture of your chosen animal: • Common name: • Scientific name: • Physical and unique characteristics: • Habitat description (include location and information about the biome): • A description of how your species has adapted to their environment: • Diet and feeding habits: • Give one interesting fact:

33. Field Guide Examples: