Weighing up to 400 kg and 2 meters in length, the Galapagos giant tortoise is the largest of the land tortoise species living today. It is also one of the longest-lived animals known, with an average age that exceeds 150 years.
They can survive for months without food or water. At dawn it goes in search of the sun's rays to raise its body temperature. It is a land turtle, although it can be found near water. It moves very slowly and at night it seeks refuge among the vegetation. They nest in the low areas of the islands where they dig a hole in the sand to lay their eggs.

The British naturalist Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1835 during the second voyage of the Beagle. Darwin observed that the turtles on the most mountainous and green islands had short necks and domed shells, while those on the flat, dry islands had long necks and “saddle” shells as an adaptation to reach the most tender from the tall cacti. The anatomical differences between the turtles on both islands served as inspiration for his theory of evolution.

These turtles have suffered a disastrous history of persecution and extermination at the hands of man. Their prodigious ability to live for many months without water or food made them a source of fresh food that could easily be stored in the hold of ships.