GALAPAGOS ISLANDS By Byrdie Paisley
Table of Contents
Table of Contents……………………………………………………………..page 2 Introduction……………………………………………………………….…..page 3 Chapter I…………………………………………………………….………...page 4 Chapter II…………………………………………………………….……….page 7 Chapter III…………………………………………………….……..……....page 11 Chapter IV…………………………………………………………..……....page 14 Chapter V……………………………………………………………..……..page 18 Chapter VI……………………………………………………………...……page 20 Conclusion…………………………………………………………..……....page 23 Works Cited……………………………………………………………….....page 24 Image Credits……………………………………………………………...... page 25
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3 Introduction I had heard of the islands before and all of their unique animals and it seemed really interesting because of how it inspired Darwin’s theory. I wanted to do something that not many people knew about beforehand. I knew a few people who had gone and liked it, but I didn't really know much about it. I liked how most of the animals live nowhere else on earth and how they all adapted so they could live there. My biggest questions were will the Galapagos be destroyed by humans building and destroying the Galapagos, how important is the Galapagos to other people, and how do humans affect the Galapagos? The most awesome thing about the islands is how most of them lived somewhere else and somehow ended up on the islands. It is cool how they all adapted over time to the islands and now have everything they need to survive. The unique flora and fauna of the Galapagos have had a significant impact on science, because they have forced scientists to rethink how life began and evolved on earth. The animals of the Galapagos are marvelous and their adaptations are found nowhere else. In particular the flora and fauna found on the islands forced Charles Darwin to rethink nature, as he developed his theory of evolution. Endemic animals such as marine iguanas and tortoises have inspired people to learn more about nature and how life began.
4 Chapter I The surface area of the Galapagos islands is 3,089 square miles. There are 13 major islands, five minor ones, and over 200 rocks and islets. Some major islands are Isla Darwin, Isla Pinta, Isla Fernandina, Isla Isabela, Isla Genovesa, Isla Española, and Isla Santa Cruz. The minor ones are Isla Baltra, Isla Pinzón, Isla Tortuga, Isla Gardener, and Isla Seymour Norte. Some rocks and islets are Kicker Rock, Roca Este, and Islet Five Fingers. In total there are over 220 islands, rocks and islets. All of the Islands belong to the country of Ecuador. The islands rest on the Nazca tectonic plate. The plate is just off the west coast of South America, in the eastern Pacific Basin. The Nazca plate is largely responsible for the Andean Orogeny. The Andean Orogeny causes the Andes Mountains to rise. The islands are 600 miles west of Ecuador, and are in the eastern Pacific Ocean. All of the Islands belong to the country of Ecuador. The cold and dry season is from June to October. The average high of July is 75°F and the low is 68°F. The high of August which is the coldest month has a high of about 74°F and a low of 69°F. The low in September is 68°F and the high is 76°F. The high of October is around 77°F and the low is 70°F. The average temperature of the cold and dry season is 72°F which is cold compared to the rest of the year. The warm season is from March to June. The high of March is about 86°F and the low is 74°F. The average low of April is 74°F and the high is 84°F. The average high of May is 82°F and the low is 71°F. The low of June is about 70°F
5 and the high is 78°F. The average temperature of the warm season is 82°F, which makes it a nice time to visit and see animals. The wet season is from November to February. The average high in November is 77°F and the low is 68°F. The high of December is around 80°F and the low is 70°F. The low in January is about 69°F and the high is 78°F. In February the low is around 75°F and the high is 84°F making it one of the hottest months of the year. The average temperature of the wet season is 80°F. The water temperature is about the same whenever you choose to see marine life. The water temperature of the cold and dry season is around 75°F. In the warm season the water normally is about 72°F. In the wet season the water is around 72°F. The hottest the water will normally get is 78°F in March. In August the water is the coldest at 69°F degrees. The average water temperature is 76°F which is a great temperature for marine life.
There are twenty-one volcanoes on the islands. Five are on Isla Isabela which are: Volcan Darwin, Volcan Wolf, Volcan Cerro Azul, Volcan Sierra, and Volcan Alcedo. The volcano on Isla Fernandina is Volcan Cumbre. The volcano on Isla Pinta is Volcan Major. Thirteen of the twenty-one emergent volcanoes are active.
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La Cumbre is the youngest volcano on the islands. The volcanoes are between 4.2 million years old and 700,000 years old. Volcan Wolf is the highest peak. Genovesa Island is a volcanic island. The last volcano to erupt was LA Cumbre on January 6, 2020. Most volcanoes on the island are shield volcanoes.
7 Chapter II There are many kinds of birds on the Galapagos islands but only two kinds of Frigate birds.The two species are the Magnificent Frigate and the Great Frigate. Frigates are known as the acrobats of the sky and the pirates of the sky. Frigates are outstanding flyers. Both the Magnificent and the Great Frigates are similar in behavior, but different in size. The Magnificent Frigates scientific name is Fragata Real. They are around two and one-half feet in height, and they are around four feet in length. Their wingspan is about seven feet which allows them to soar for days on wind currents. The Great Frigates scientific name is Fragata Comun. The Great Frigates length is around three feet and their wingspan is eight feet. The height of a Great Frigate is about three and one-half feet. Male Frigates inflate their neck pouch to attract a mate. It takes a Frigate 20-30 minutes to inflate his neck pouch.
Frigates steal food from other birds. That is why they are known as pirates. It takes two years before a young frigate is able to live on its own, however it is only around five months before a young Frigate can fly. Frigates nest in trees and shrubs. A female lays only one egg. Frigates are extremely unique birds and have
8 adapted to the Galapagos environment by stealing food from other birds like the Boobies and Swallow tailed gulls so they do not have to find it. Swallow tailed gulls have adapted to the Galapagos environment no other gull has been known to live in. Swallow tailed gulls are considered to be the most beautiful gull in the world. Their scientific name is Larus Furcatus. There are a couple thousand individual Swallow Tailed Gulls on the islands. A Swallow Tailed Gull mother lays only one egg. Gulls are sometimes overlooked as birds, but they are fascinating to learn more about.
Swallow Tailed Gulls have large red rings around their eyes . The large eye of the gull has a red ring around it during mating season. The gull’s ring also helps them see at night. Their length is two feet. Their wingspan is two feet. The eye of the gull is yet another example of animal adaptation. Swallow Tailed Gulls eat mostly the same food as other gulls. They eat squid and fish. The Swallow Tailed Gull is the only gull that eats at night. When a gull will look for food during the day, a frigate will try to steal it from them. Gulls nest on cliff faces. They nest on cliff faces overlooking the ocean. Boobies are some of the most extraordinary and unique birds. On the islands there are three species of Boobies. They are some of the most interesting seabirds.
9 The name Booby means someone who is easy to fool. They are called Boobies because when explorers first came to the islands the Boobies were easy to capture. Boobies are endemic to the Galapagos islands. Blue Footed Boobies do not need much food or shelter. They have air sacks in their skull so they do not damage it when they dive for fish. They eat fish and small squid. They dive from 50 feet or higher. The first born boobie chick kicks the younger chick out of the nest if there is not enough food. Normally the parent can not find enough food. The younger chick not surviving is normal. Having one chick helps the parent have a healthy chick. Masked Boobies are the largest boobies. Red footed boobies are not normally seen by tourists, but they are seen more than the masked boobies. Red Footed Boobies are like Blue Footed Boobies except they have red feet. They nest in trees and shrubs. Masked boobies are almost never seen near tourists. Darwin's Finches are one of the animals that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. The finches are not as impressive as they might seem. There are 14 species of finch on the islands. Some species of finch are the vegetarian finch, large cactus finch, sharp beaked ground finch, cactus finch, and the warbler finch. Darwin's finches are normally around one-half foot tall.
10 Even though they are all considered finches, each species is extraordinarily different from one another. The scientific name for finch is Pinzon. Darwin's finches are black brown and spotted birds. Finches are not considered endangered. Charles Darwin thought that when the birds arrived at the Galapagos they were all the same. Without finches the theory of evolution might not have not been developed. The Medium Tree Finch eats insects, so its beak is medium sized. The large ground finch has a large and heavy beak to break open large shells. The warbler finch has a small beak to eat plants and small insects. The different species of finch are different because of their beak sizes and shapes. They are now well-known as a textbook example of animal evolution.
11 Chapter III The Fiddler crab that has adapted to the environment to be able to get rid of predators. The Fiddler crab's scientific name is cangrejo violinista. The length of a Fiddler crab 1/10 of a foot. The Terrestrial hermit is one-fifth of a foot. The scientific name of a hermit crab is Cangrejo Ermitano. Hermit crabs have adapted to have shells to hide in. A ghost crab is an excellent example of how animals have adapted to a certain environment. The ghost crab is lightly colored and has adapted to camouflage itself. A ghost crab is about half of a foot. Ghost crabs live in burrows sometimes one meter. They eat mostly sand fleas. Sally light footed crabs are one of the world's best known crabs. Sally light foot crabs are scavengers. The sally light foot crabs eat anything that floats in with the tide. They are about one-half of a foot long in length. Their scientific name is cangrejo zayapa.
The Galapagos tortoises are one of the most famous reptiles. Once almost each island had its own tortoise. Now 4 out of the 7 species on the Galapagos are extinct. When explorers first came to the islands they captured over half of the tortoise population. Tortoises have adapted to live in wet and on dry land, they are extremely unique.
12 Galapagos Tortoises are like adaptations of tortoises all over the world. There are around 15000 individual tortoises on the islands. Saddle shaped tortoises have a long neck to eat fruit from trees. Tortoises with saddle shaped shells fight. The tortoise with the longer neck will normally win in a fight. The Galapagos tortoises is one of the most populated animals on the islands. There are three Galapagos tortoise species on the islands, the saddle-shaped, dome-shaped, and the giant tortoise. Tortoises weigh up to 500 pounds. They eat cacti, grasses, and other succulent plants. Tortoises with dome-shaped shells barely fight. Galapagos tortoises are active during the day and sleep under trees and bushes. Tortoises of the Galapagos have adapted to their environment and now they all live in the environment they found themselves in. Tortoises are great animals and have been adapted since they first came to the islands. Giant tortoises are around nine feet in length, and they live to be over 100 years. Their scientific name is galapago. They are the largest living species of tortoise. The Galapagos tortoise is a great example of adaptation. Land iguanas have not adapted to the environment because the environment on the islands are the same one that they were used to before they came to the Galapagos. Land iguanas have tough mouths, so they can eat cacti. They use their sharp claws to claw away the spikes of a cacti. Land iguanas can weigh around 25 pounds. Sometimes land iguanas can live up to 60 years. One way land iguanas have adapted to the environment is they have sharp claws.
13 Land iguanas are like most land iguanas and live in dry places. They do not swim, unlike the marine iguanas who also live on the islands. Land iguanas live in small groups. Some iguanas are around three feet in length. Unlike other animals on the Galapagos land, iguanas have not adapted to the environment because the environment they are used to are part of the Galapagos environment. Land iguanas are amazing animals and are extremely unique. Their scientific name is Iguana Terrestre. Young land iguanas are often hunted by the Galapagos Hawk. They get their water from the cactus, so they do not have to find water in the dry land. The Galapagos land iguana is endemic to the islands.
14 Chapter IV
Marine iguanas are perhaps one of the most amazing and unique animals in the world. These iguanas are the second most popular animal on the islands. On the islands there are over 200,000 individual iguanas living there. The marine iguanas spanish name is Iguana Marina. Their scientific name is Amblyrhynchus Cristatus. They have adapted to a marine environment by learning to swim and finding food in the oceans. They are the only iguanas that swim. Marine iguanas can stay underwater for one hour. An iguana will eat algae on rocks. They will also eat crustaceans. They come from the islands Santa Cruz, Isabela, Fernandina, Espanola, and Genova. Marine iguana continue to amaze scientists who study them. Marine iguanas are very different from the land iguanas. They live in the roots of Mangrove trees. The length of an adult marine iguana is about three feet. When marine iguanas dive, they snort the extra sea water out of a special gland on their head that they have. Scientists believe that iguanas from South America drifted to the islands on logs and debris and then adapted to the marine environment.
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Marine iguanas are rare and marvelous lizards. Adults can weigh up to 26 pounds and they are cold blooded. Iguanas are normally black, sometimes gray, green or even red. They are not considered endangered. The marine iguanas are endemic to the Galapagos. The two species of seals on the islands are the Galapagos Fur Seal and the Galapagos Sea Lion. The Spanish name of the Galapagos Fur Seal is Lobo de dos Pelos. Lobo Marino is the Spanish name of the Galapagos Sea Lion. Seals, Walruses, and Sea Lions are called pinnipeds. Pinnipeds are a carnivorous aquatic mammal. They are the only pinnipeds to live at the equator. The Galapagos Fur Seal evolved from the South American Fur Seal. Seals are similar to walruses but smaller and have no tusks. They live in groups of around 25. Seals eat fish, squid, and some other invertebrates. They have unique and powerful flippers. Fur seals were nearly wiped out by hunters in the1800’s and the early 1900’s. It is theorized that the seals came to the islands from South America by swimming in the ocean's currents. The Galapagos fur seal and the Galapagos sea lion are the same size as other seals. The Galapagos sea lion is around 8 feet in length. The Galapagos fur seal is around 100 pounds. The
16 Galapagos sea lion weighs around 40 pounds. The length of a Galapagos fur seal is around five feet. Both the Galapagos fur seal and the Galapagos sea lion are endemic to the islands. Females live to be about 15 years old. Seals are grown up at the age of four or five years old. Seals only have one pup. Males live to be around 12 years old. The Galapagos fur seal and the Galapagos sea lion are carnivores. Dolphins are highly intelligent marine mammals and are part of the family of toothed whales that includes orcas and pilot whales. There are two species of dolphin that live in the waters of the Galapagos. The Common dolphin and the Bottlenose dolphin. The spanish name of the Common dolphin is Delfin Comon. The Common dolphins travel in pods of around fifteen. They grow to be around six and a half feet in length. Delfin Mular is the spanish name of the bottlenose dolphin. They travel in small pods of ten. The Bottlenose dolphins are known as “flippers”. Both species are light gray. The Bottlenose dolphin is about ten feet in length. Another name for the killer whale is Orca. The length of the orca is thirty feet. Killer whales don't attack humans. Orcas travel in groups of five to twenty whales. The females
17 live to be 29 years old and the males 17. The males weigh 8,000 – 12,000 pounds and females 3,000 - 6,000 pounds. Whales eat squid, fish, seabirds, sharks, seals, polar bears, porpoises, and even other whales. All whales belong to the order Cetacea. The spanish name for the fin whale is Roerva Cumun. The short finned pilot whales spanish name is Calderon tropical. Whales are the largest animals in the marine world.
18 Chapter V The Cotton on the islands is known as Darwin’s Cotton. Darwin’s Cotton lives on all the islands. Darwin's Cotton is also known as Gossypium Darwinii. Cotton grows to be around three meters in height. Cotton is extremely important and without it we would not have most clothes. Cotton is an economic plant on the islands. The Cotton itself is a soft fluffy fiber used for everyday clothes. The flower blooms only after heavy rain. It is believed that the cotton arrived by the wind. Darwin’s Cotton is related to Sea Island Cotton. The flower is two and a half inches in length.The plant lives for 15-20 years. Darwin’s Cotton is blooming all year long because the temperature is always perfect for it. Birds nest in the Cotton branches. Cotton is a shrub. Darwin’s Cottons spanish name is Algodón de Darwin. Cacti is one of the least popular plants. Cacti self pollinate. The arms of the cacti give the cactus a candle holder appearance. Animals drink the water of the prickly pear cactus. Cacti can live in water. Cacti show many adaptations to conserve water. Their scientific name is Brachycereus nesioticus. They live in Arid areas. The prickly pear cactus survives all year long. They have white and yellow flowers. The cactus is found in arid zones on many islands.
19 Six species of prickly pear cactus grow on the islands. The flowers are best visible at dawn. Candelabra cactus grow up to be about 60 centimeters in height. Some prickly pear cacti can grow to be three feet. In height. The candelabra cacti flowers are eaten by finches, land iguanas, mockingbirds, and lava lizards. Scalesia trees are one of the many flora endemic to the islands. They are one of the 250 endemic species on the islands. They survive all year long. They mostly live on uninhabited islands. They only live on the Galapagos Islands. There are so many trees they have their own zone named after them. The zone in the Scalesia zone. The Scalesia zone is a cloud forest. The Scalesia zone is an area of around a few miles. They only live to be around fifteen years old. Scientists believe that their seeds probably arrived by wind gusts. Their spanish name is Arbol De La Margarita. They are around 15 meters in height. Their scientific name is Scalesia spp. Scalesia trees are giant daisy trees.
20 Chapter VI Charles Darwin was one of the main reasons behind the theory of natural selection. Charles Darwin was one of the world's smartest men. When Charles was nine he was sent to a nearby Shrewsbury school. At his house he and his brother Eramais had a chemistry lab in their shed. Charles loved to do experiments. He hated the Shrewsbury school.
His theory inspired many people. Charles' father wanted him to become a doctor. At age sixteen Charles went to Scotland to study at Edinburgh University to become a doctor. When he was eighteen he left Scotland to go to Cambridge University to become a minister. Charles loved his botany class taught by Professor Henslow. In 1831 Professor Henslow asked Charles to go on a two year voyage instead of going back to school. Charles graduated from Cambridge at age 22 in 1831. Charles Darwin was one of the world's smartest men in the world of science. He was the first scientist to identify a lot of different species at the islands he explored. The ship set sail December 27, 1831.Charles only went to four of the
21 Galapagos islands. The Galapagos islands he went to were Isabella, Santa Cruz, Fernadina, and San Salvador. He was a british naturalist. He arrived at the Galapagos on September 15, 1835. He had the single greatest influence in the theory of evolution. To Charles’ all the different creatures were like aliens from another planet. He discovered several species of finch while he explored the Galapagos. The Galapagos was the high point of his voyage. He stayed for five weeks on the Galapagos islands. Charles was one of the only scientists to take specimens home. Only a few people lived on the islands at that time. Many people caught fish from the oceans of the islands. Instead of a two year voyage it was four years long. He always scribbled notes in a notebook while he explored. On board he examined a lot of small creatures under a microscope. The name of the ship was the HMS Beagle. The captain was Captain Fitzroy. Charles preserved and dried many of the specimens on board. The ship was docked in England, October 2, 1836.
22 His theory is what inspired many people to learn about science and how life began. Charles theories on evolution were based on evidence such as the finches. He showed that living things constantly produce more offspring. Charles said that no two living animals are alike and no two species are alike. It was one of science's most brilliant theories. Charles wrote a book on the Origin of species in 1856. He spent eight years studying sea creatures which helped him understand natural selection. On November 24 1859 Charles published his book. The book is still one of the most important books on science ever written. Charles worked on experiments and wrote books and papers. Charles Darwin made a paper on his theory of evolution. He wrote his paper between 1844 and 1857. Another man named Wallace wrote a paper around the same time and he had the same ideas as Charles Darwin. On July 1 1858 both his and Wallace's papers were read. Everyone knew that Charles came up with the ideas first. The Galapagos was extremely important to science and Inspired many people especially Charles to learn more about animals and Charles theory of evolution.
23 Conclusion The Galapagos is a big part of Darwin's theory. The animals of the islands showed Charles Darwin how animals adapt to a certain environment. One way was the finches. There are 14 different finch species on the islands and all the species are uniquely different from one another. The Galapagos is now a large marine reserve and a no flying zone. The Galapagos will probably not be destroyed because the islands are part of a national park. The Galapagos is important to some people who want to protect the unique environment but there are others who don't care about protecting the environment. Over the last ten months the islands have inspired me to learn more about nature and how life began and evolved. If I had to do Expert again, I would focus more on the animals instead of all the plants and Charles Darwin.
24 Works Cited Gelman, Rita. Dawn to Dusk in the Galapagos: Flightless Birds, Swimming Lizards, and Other Fascinating Creatures. Little, Brown, and Company, 1991. Hopkinson, Deborah, and Nancy Harrison. Who Was Charles Darwin? Grosset & Dunlap, 2005. ---. Who Was Charles Darwin? Grosset & Dunlap, 2005. Litteral, Linda. Boobies, Iguanas, and the Other Critters. American Kestrel Press, 1994. Myers, Lynne. Galapagos: Islands of a Change. Hyperion Books for children, 1995. Pearson, David. Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. Interlink books, 2005. Steadman, David. Galapagos: Discovery on Darwin’s Island. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1983. Stine, Megan. Where are the Galapagos Islands? Grosset and Dunlap, 2017.
25 Image Credits
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2018/11/17/galapagos-islands- wildlife-animals/2034258002/ http://blog.galapagosecolodge.net/2012/09/galapagos-island-geography-and-geolog y_1590.htm https://www.pinterest.com/pin/558376053771702691/ https://galapagosconservation.org.uk/wildlife/blue-footed-booby/ https://www.gogalapagos.com/animal-specie/swallow-tailed-gull/ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/294141419382563081/ https://aboutgalapagos.nathab.com/plan-your-trip/when-to-go-to-the-galapagos-isla nds/ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/407927678725083490/https://www.pinterest.com/pi n/460493130622153356/ https://oceana.org/marine-life/marine-mammals/common-bottlenose-dolphin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossypium_darwinii https://galapagosconservation.org.uk/wildlife/prickly-pear-cactus/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalesia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin%27s_educationhttps://www.c k12.org/biology/darwin/lesson/Darwins-Voyage-of-the-Beagle-BIO/ Photo Credit: JoAnn Jones, Master Naturalist
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