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Marine iguana
The Galapagos marine iguana ( Amblyrhynchus cristatus) is a reptile that is found exclusively on these islands and that feeds on algae. It can stay submerged up to a depth of 9 m, although it usually feeds in the intertidal coastal zone.
Chelonoidis
The giant Galapagos tortoise ( Chelonoidis nigra) is the largest land turtle in the world. These vegetarian giants can reach a meter and a half in length and weigh more than 400 kilos.
Conolophus
The land iguana is a species of lizard of the family Iguanidae, and one of the three species of the genus Conolophus. It is endemic to the Galapagos Islands. During the day, these animals spend many hours sunbathing on hot rocks and at night they take refuge in holes in the ground to conserve heat. They are fundamentally herbivorous, although sometimes they feed on insects, centipedes and decaying corpses.
Chelonia
Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas). Adults individuals measure up to 1.5 meters in length and weigh more than 230 kg. This is the only herbivorous species among sea turtles and feeds on seagrasses and algae. Due to this diet, its fat reserves are green, explaining the reason for its name.
Amblyrhynchus cristatus
The marine iguana Amblyrhynchus cristatus, is a species endemic to the Galápagos Islands. These magnificent creatures did not make a great first impression on Charles Darwin, who referred to them as “disgusting, clumsy lizards.”
Amblyrhynchus
The Galapagos sea iguana ( Amblyrhynchus cristatus) is endemic to these islands and has the ability to feed underwater on algae.
Microlophus albemarlensis
Galapagos lava lizard (Microlophus albemarlensis). These lizards are native to South America. There are about twenty recognized species, and six of them are endemic to the Galápagos Islands.
Mesosaurus
Mesosaurus is an extinct, small-sized, Permian marine reptile. It is very important for the history of geology because its disjunct distribution (eastern South America and western Africa) was used to argue in favor of continental drift (an early version of plate tectonics). These impressions of a vertebral column and a few ribs were photographed at the Cruziero Quarry, where strata of the Irati Formation of the Paraná Basin of Brazil are exposed.
Araripemys barretoi
Fossilized hatchling of a Cretaceous pleurodiran turtle from the Araripe Basin, Brazil. Specimen on display at the Paleontological Museum in Santana do Cariri, few cm in size.
Mass mortality
5 different organisms (a soft-shelled turtle, 3 species of fish, and an insect) are preserved in close proximity on this slab from the Eocene Fossil Lake Basin, Wyoming (on display at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago).