When Charles Darwin arrived at the Galapagos Islands he was amazed by the giant tortoises roaming the islands and remarked: "These animals grow to an immense size ... several so large that it required six or eight men to lift them from the ground".

The Galápagos giant tortoise (Geochelone nigra) is the largest living tortoise and fully-grown adults can weigh over 300 kg (661 lb). There are 11 subspecies currently living among the Islands. One of these, the Pinta Island Tortoise, is represented by a sole individual, - Lonesome George. George was first seen on the island of Pinta on 1 December 1971 and is considered by many the world's rarest creature.