Saturday, May 17, 2025

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 


Linking Saturday Critter

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33 comments:

  1. What a surprise to see this handsome fellow. Great photo of this wonderful creature.

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  2. Preciosa imagen de la tortuga. No se si centenaria pero seguro que muchos años si que tiene.

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  3. What a great encounter with this ancient looking tortoise. Fine portrait photo.

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  4. Amazing, great portrait of the beautiful tortoise.

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  5. What a magnificent image. The detail is amazing.

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  6. Wonderful photo, dear friend 🧡 I love them, they are intelligent and beautiful.

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  7. The tortoise is staring straight through the photographer, its mind on other things, perhaps a friendly companion tortoise.

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  8. É de facto um animal com caraterísticas extraordinárias.
    Bom fim de semana.
    Abraço de amizade.
    Juvenal Nunes

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  9. What a wonderful creature and a lovely photo of it too.

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  10. Never had the pleasure of meeting one. Good for you.

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  11. In that picture, he looks like an ancient warrior-- His armor able to deflect all our puny arrows and spears.

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  12. Not beautiful in the conventional sense, but dignified, impressive, with the wisdom of the ages showing in the eyes.

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  13. Great photo of the tortoise, it is amazing they live so long. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend.

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  14. Great shot of the tortoise . The question is how got it there.

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  15. What an amazing critter...one we would all love to see!

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  16. He has seen a lot of things in his lifetime and probably many more.

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  17. Un ejemplar fuera de su lugar, pero parece bien adaptado.

    Saludos.

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  18. That is such a good photograph of this wonderful tortoise.

    All the best Jan

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