The Galapagos Tortoises are the largest living species of tortoise.  The islands are named after these guys, as ‘galapago’ means tortoise in Spanish.  In the wild they have a lifespan of over 100 years.  Unfortunately the numbers of tortoises plummeted over the years as humans used the tortoises for food and oil and  introduced non-native species (like rats, goats, pigs) which affected tortoise habitat and dramatically reduced the numbers of hatchlings.   Today there are several captive breeding programs on the islands which are working  to increase the numbers in the wild tortoise populations.