Back from Extinction

Fernandina Giant Tortoise Chelonoidis phantasticus

Thought extinct for 113 years.

Much of our understanding of the natural world is owed to the remoteness of the Galapagos islands and Charles Darwin’s observations of the specialised species there (without entering the Darwin/Wallace debate). The isolation of the Galapagos not only created highly adapted creatures found nowhere else on earth, but also highlights the ecological fragility of remote locations.

Many people are aware of the story of Lonesome George, the last remaining Pinta Island tortoise (Chelonoidis abingdonii). After the introduction of feral goats which decimated the vegetation on the island, George was the very last of his species. George sadly passed away in 2012 with much debate around his age, which was expected to be anywhere between 80 – 100.

Each island in the Galapagos has extremely different conditions, creating extremely different species.

Fernandina is no different, this hostile volcanic island has almost no fresh water and is formed of deep volcanic rubble. Early explorers were shocked to discover the resilient Fernandina giant tortoise, which is thought to have been washed onto Fernandina from a neighbouring island thousands of years ago. After it was last recorded in 1906, the species was understandably thought to have gone extinct. A few faecal records and nesting sites were discovered periodically over the space of 100 years, tantalising biologists for almost a century.

Researchers accompanied by a film crew for ‘Extinct or Alive’ decided to embark on a voyage to the remote island and conduct a thorough search for the animal. In 2019 “Fern” was discovered hiding within her shell beneath a shrub on the island. Predicted to be almost 110 years old, she was the first Fernandina Giant Tortoise discovered in over a century. The team responsible for her discovery said: “to save a species, to bring an animal back that’s been given up on completely, forgotten about by the entire world is so overwhelmingly positive and most importantly inspires hope.”

Crested Gecko

Corellophus ciliatus

Thought extinct for 126 years.

Many of the New Caledonian geckos have quickly become very popular within the pet industry. The crested gecko certainly takes the title for the most popular species from this tiny pacific island and is now almost as common sight as leopard geckos and bearded dragons in pet shops.

In the wild, just five populations of this species exist on two very remote islands off the coast of New Caledonia. Because of this, the crested gecko was not officially observed since it was described in 1866. Many herpetologists thought the species was extinct until 1992 when, after a tropical storm, Robert Seipp found multiple individuals in the rainforest canopy.

Their success in the pet industry is not representative of their conservation status in the wild. In fact, the crested gecko is labelled as ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCN redlist with populations decreasing. With the rise in popularity of this species in captivity comes new interest in preserving wild populations. Now, the habitat of crested geckos is protected by law. This legislation aims to curve the amount of seasonal non-timber crops which poses a serious threat to the species. Another major conservation concern for the geckos of New Caledonia is the introduction of the electric ant (Wassmania auropunctata) from South America. These insects will actively prey on the small reptiles, spelling ecological disaster for the island.

Because of their extremely restricted and remote range, much of the research around C. ciliatus is based on captive specimens. Luckily their abundance in the pet trade comes largely from their willingness to breed in captivity.

Crested Geckos were previously considered members of the Rhacodactylus genus until they were reclassified in 2012. This group of geckos is truly impressive, with many of them exhibiting complex camouflage patterns and some growing to a considerable size. The ‘Rhacs’ includes other increasingly popular pet species such as the Gargoyle gecko (R. auriculatus) and the ‘Leachie’ or New Caledonia giant gecko (R. leachianus).

What Next?

Lazarus species teach us a bittersweet lesson about the need for conservation and zoology in general. As the human population continues to grow rapidly and more wilderness areas are destroyed before we really have a chance to study their inhabitants, there is likely to be many extinctions that go almost entirely unnoticed by science. However, the Lazarus taxon gives us a second chance. Sometimes this opportunity arises just at the point of critical interception, as is the case with the Cropans boa and Fernandina giant tortoise. Other times we receive a chance to understand secretive animals like the Voeltzkows chameleon or the pygmy blue tongue skink and learn to protect the delicate ecosystems they call home. For many of the readers of this magazine, the story of the crested gecko is most prominent. Avoiding illegal activities and being a responsible pet owner is the bare minimum we can do, but to develop our knowledge and share this with the world, is a giant step in the right direction.