Pinzón Island

Pinzón Island
Pinzón Island
Geography
Location Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Coordinates 0°36′37″S 90°39′58″W / 0.610236°S 90.666234°W / -0.610236; -90.666234Coordinates: 0°36′37″S 90°39′58″W / 0.610236°S 90.666234°W / -0.610236; -90.666234
Archipelago Galápagos Islands
Highest elevation 458 m (1,503 ft)
Administration

Pinzón Island, sometimes called Duncan Island (after Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan), is an island in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.[1]

Pinzón is home to giant Galápagos tortoises of the endemic subspecies Chelonoidis duncanensis, Galápagos sea lions and other endemic species. It has no visitor facilities and a permit is required to visit.

It has an area of 18 km2 and a maximum altitude of 458 meters.

Pinzón marks the geographical center of the Galápagos Islands, but neither of the two main Galápagos tree species are present. In the humid zone a unique species of daisy tree is found.

An infestation of non-native rats began in the mid 18th century with the arrival of European sailors. The rats devastated the tortoise population by eating their eggs and young hatchlings that were too small to defend themselves. In 2012, conservationists dropped bait on the island designed to attract and kill the rats. The experiment worked and the island is now rat-free. In December 2014, the first new generation of tortoise hatchlings were spotted on Pinzón.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Pinzón". Galapagos Conservancy. galapagos.org. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  2. ↑ Stephen Messenger. "Baby Tortoises Found On Galápagos Island For First Time In Over 100 Years". The Dodo.
  • Henry Nicholls. "When the rats are away, Galápagos tortoises can play". the Guardian.
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