Fernanda is the only known tortoise of her type.
The Fernandina Giant Tortoise is native to the Western Galpagos. The "fantastic giant tortoise" was thought to have been extinct for over a century due to volcanic eruptions.
Rangers at the Galpagos national park found traces of the reptile's dung, a sign of hope for the species. Two years later, Fernanda was discovered by a team of researchers.
The researchers couldn't be certain that Fern was the reptile they'd been looking for. The last known Fernandina Giant Tortoise, a single male, was collected from the island in 1906, while Fernanda was much smaller and lacked its distinctive "saddlebag" shaped shell. The researchers looked at genetics to make sure they were related.
A sample of Fernanda's blood and a piece of the unnamed male's bone were sent to the university to be analysed. The herpetological hero is a Fernandina Giant Tortoise.
Stephen Gaughran, a researcher and co-author of the paper, said that they were able to show the connection between Fernanda and the other Fernandina tortoise. After it sank in, I was excited about it.
Gaughran is hoping that there are more giant turtles on the island. If scientists can locate a male, there is hope that Fern will live until 200. This legend is only in her 20s.
At a time when all sea life is suffering from the consequences of human development, the discovery is good news. Fernanda is a symbol of hope for the preservation of the environment.
Scientists discover the world's largest organisms under the ocean.
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