15 Weird and Cutest Turtle and Endangered Tortoise Species

Galapagos Tortoise: One of the more well-known terrapins, the giant Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra) is the world's largest living species of tortoise, sometimes living for more than 100 years in the wild. In fact, one captive Galapagos tortoise lived to be 170. The biggest Galapagos tortoises on record were more than six feet long and weighed 880 pounds. The species is native to the Galapagos islands, and subspecies are found on seven of the islands in the archipelago. Hunting, habitat loss, and introduction of nonnative species have caused their numbers to plummet.