Pinzón Island
Pinzón Island, sometimes called Duncan Island (after Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan), is an island in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.
Pinzón is home to giant Galápagos tortoises of the endemic subspecies Chelonoidis nigra duncanensis, Galápagos sea lions and other endemic species. It has no visitor facilities and a permit is required to visit.
It has an area of 18 km2 and a maximum altitude of 458 meters.
Pinzón marks the geographical center of the Galápagos Islands, but neither of the two main Galápagos tree species are present. In the humid zone a unique species of daisy tree is found.
An infestation of non-native rats began in the mid 18th century with the arrival of European sailors. The rats devastated the tortoise population by eating their eggs and young hatchlings that were too small to defend themselves. In 2012, conservationists dropped bait on the island designed to attract and kill the rats. The experiment worked and the island is now rat-free. In December 2014, the first hatchlings were spotted on Pinzón.[1]
References
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