Giant tortoises show large variation in size and shape but all species can be classed into two main shell types: domed and saddle-backed. After the death of Lonesome George in 2012, the last Pinta island tortoise, twelve living species are thought to remain in Galapagos across ten islands.
The giant tortoise arrived in Galapagos from mainland South America 2-3 million years ago, where they underwent diversification into 14 species, differing in their morphology and distribution. The Galapagos giant tortoise is one of the most famous animals of the Islands, with the Archipelago itself being named after them ( Galapágo is an old Spanish word for tortoise).
