Galápagos tortoise spotted in Japan Ryokan for Saturday Critter

 

During my travels in Japan, I once lodged at a traditional ryokan situated beside a tranquil hot spring. There, to my quiet astonishment, the proprietors kept a Galápagos tortoise—majestic and serene—dwelling near the baths. Its immense, domed shell and contemplative gaze lent an air of ancient dignity to the place, as though time itself moved more slowly in its presence.

The Galápagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra complex) is one of the largest living tortoise species, with some individuals weighing over 400 kilograms (880 pounds) and measuring more than 1.5 meters (5 feet) in length. Native to the Galápagos Islands, these tortoises exhibit significant variation in shell shape and size, often reflecting the environmental conditions of their specific island—domed shells are common in moist highlands, while saddleback shells are adapted to arid, lowland areas. They are herbivorous, feeding primarily on grasses, leaves, and cacti, and can survive for up to a year without food or water thanks to their slow metabolism and remarkable water storage ability. Renowned for their longevity, Galápagos tortoises frequently live over 100 years in the wild, with some in captivity reaching ages well beyond that.

Pentax K10D

FA 80-200mm f2.8 

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