Giant Tortoise My Pet and Me

-Hello, I'm Ferne...

-And I'm Rory.

Welcome to My Pet and Me Specials.

Today, we're in one of the most amazing places in the world.

We've travelled all the way from the UK to just off the

coast of Ecuador in South America, to the Galapagos Islands.

We've made this trip to find out more about the most

incredible wildlife on the planet.

Some of the animals that live here cannot be found anywhere

-else in the world.

-We're going to meet some children

who live on the islands, who know more about these animals.

-What are your plans today, Rory?

-I'm off to meet the animal that the

-Galapagos Islands are named after.

-That sounds awesome, have fun.

-Thanks very much. You can come with me too.

-Hasta luego.

-Hasta luego.

# My pet My pet and me

# My pet My pet and me

# Down every street Are pets to meet

# Some big, some small Some scaly, some furry

# Some keep very still Some are always in a hurry

# Some have four paws

# Some have sharp claws

-# Some quack

-Some bark

-# Some purr

-Some moo

-# Some grunt

-Some squawk

# Some cock-a-doodle-doo

# My pet My pet and me

# My pet My pet and me

# My pet My pet and me

# Have you met My pet and me? #

I'm here in Santa Cruz,

which is the second-largest of the Galapagos Islands,

and I'm here to meet Ciara and her dad. Let's go and find them.

MUSIC PLAYS

Hola, Ciara.

-Hola, Rory.

-And you must be dad, hola.

-Hola, Rory.

-I am very excited, because I think you are going to

introduce me to one of the most famous animals in the Galapagos.

-Is that right?

-Yes.

Tell me about this animal, what does it look like?

It has a long neck.

OK, they have a long neck.

-What else?

-A big shell.

Right. Big shell.

They can live a long time.

Wow.

How long can it live?

Over 100 years.

Over 100 years?!

That is very old, I'm very impressed.

-What size are they?

-They are very big.

Wow. OK, so let me think about this.

So it's got a long neck, a big shell,

and it can live for over 100 years.

It can only be a Galapagos giant tortoise.

-Yes, Rory.

-Of course.

And you have drawn a beautiful giant tortoise, here, haven't you?

That's great. So, are we going to see a giant tortoise today?

-Yes, Rory.

-Now, this is exciting.

Galapagos giant tortoises are among the largest living land reptiles in

the world. They can grow up to four feet in length,

which is about the same height as Ciara,

and they can be as heavy as four grown men.

That's very heavy. You couldn't carry one, could you?

No, Rory.

So, Ciara, tell me how the Galapagos Islands got their name

from the giant tortoise.

-Galapagos means saddle in Spanish.

-Of course, yes.

When Spanish sailors discovered the Galapagos Islands,

they saw the giant tortoise and noticed some of their shells

are shaped like a saddle.

And the word, saddle, in Spanish is galapago.

-And that's how the Galapagos Islands got their name.

-Exactly, Rory!

That makes a lot of sense.

You could say the giant tortoise is the most famous animal in

-the Galapagos Islands.

-That's right.

-You wouldn't have a giant tortoise as a pet, would you?

-No, Rory!

Of course, because they're wild animals.

-So where can we go and see them?

-In the Highlands National Park.

Brilliant. Ferne, while we go up to the Highlands,

can you tell us some cool facts about our big, ancient,

-giant tortoise friends?

-Of course, Rory.

There are lots of different species of Galapagos giant tortoise.

Some of their shells are dome-shaped,

and others are saddle-backed.

Giant tortoises don't have any teeth, so they use the

bony outer edges of their mouth to bite off and mash up food.

Once in the mouth, the food is swallowed quickly.

Tortoises have good eyesight, and this helps them find their food.

Anything that is brightly coloured gets their attention.

A giant tortoise's shell is partly made of bone,

and it cannot be removed from the rest of their body.

When they feel frightened or threatened, they can pull their head

and legs inside their shell to help protect them.

MUSIC PLAYS

My Pet And Me!

We've come to the Highlands of Santa Cruz

to track the giant tortoises.

Tracking means looking for signs of an animal, and trying to find them.

-Why do they come to the Highlands?

-There's more food here.

Yes, absolutely. There's more food here,

because it's colder and a lot drier at this time of year.

The tortoises have to move up lower land to find the food.

Later in the year, when it's warmer and wetter,

they go back down to lower land again.

-So what do we need to do to look for the tortoises?

-Look down.

Great, let's go then, come on.

The Galapagos giant tortoises are a protected species,

and Ciara's dad has a very special job, don't you?

Yes, I am Galapagos National Park ranger.

Brilliant, so you keep the giant tortoises safe and protected?

-Yes, Rory.

-Fantastic.

-Well, I hope we find one soon.

So what signs of the giant tortoise are we looking for?

-A squashed plant.

-Ah, of course. Squashed plants.

The flattened paths that they've made from walking, OK.

-Look, Rory!

-Wow! Yes, there's one there.

Let's go and take a closer look.

This is awesome!

Wow. These have a special name, don't they?

-Tortoise highways.

-Absolutely.

A highway is another word for a road,

and this is a path that tortoises have made.

OK, we must be close, they've got to be nearby.

Let's keep looking.

Look! Another sign.

-Tortoise poo.

-Yes.

Let's have a look at this.

Galapagos tortoises are very large, so they need to eat a lot,

and, of course, that means they poo a lot as well.

But that is quite important, because they spread the seeds of the

plants and fruit that they eat all around the island.

They've got a special nickname, don't they, Dad?

-Gardeners of the Galapagos.

-That is a cool nickname.

Now, this poo looks and smells...

..very fresh. So, where are they?

Come on, Rory.

Look, Rory, there are tortoises!

Oh, yes, amazing! Let's go and have a closer look.

Wow! Look at this guy eating!

Let's get a closer look at this one.

Look at that.

You were not joking when you said they were very big.

What an amazing creature, I can't believe the size!

-What type of tortoises are they?

-Dome-shaped.

That's right, they're dome-shaped tortoises.

Dome-shaped tortoises are a great shape for pushing through the bushes

and flattening them down so they can find their food.

What clever creatures. What kind of things do they like to eat?

-Grass and guava.

-Oh, delicious, grass and guava.

Guava is a fruit found in many warm countries and tortoises love it.

They're herbivores, do you know what that means?

-They eat plants.

-Yes, absolutely right.

Herbivores are vegetarians.

Let's have a look at the tortoise, how do they move?

-They walk slowly.

-Very slowly.

You are a very good tortoise!

Good work.

-Let's find some more!

-Great idea, come on, let's go.

Wow, look at all these guys!

-What are they doing?

-They are having a mud bath.

That's right, having a mud bath.

Why do they need mud baths?

-To keep cool.

-Absolutely right, yes.

Just like pigs, giant tortoises love to wallow in the mud or water,

to keep themselves cool in the heat.

It's also a great way of keeping the bugs off them.

It's a little bit messy, isn't it?

There are a lot of tortoises here, aren't there?

OK, look at this one moving.

Very slowly, through the mud.

And, look at these ones drinking.

HE SLURPS

They're chilling out.

They really are, aren't they? It looks very relaxing.

-Would you like a mud bath?

-No, Rory!

Of course not! Come on, let's keep looking.

-There are so many giant tortoises!

-Yeah, there are, look!

Two big ones here, a big one behind us.

Look at them all.

I love watching them.

Me too. And this guy's having a really good look at us, isn't he?

I think he's going to eat soon.

Look at him stretching his neck out. You can stretch your neck out?

Stretch!

And that long neck is great for helping them pull the grass

from the ground. He's eating.

Galapagos giant tortoises can eat for between

five and seven hours a day.

-That's a lot of munching, isn't it?

-Yes.

However, they can go for a long time without eating or drinking anything

at all, because they're so good at storing food and water. Incredible.

Oh, look! A big yawn.

HE YAWNS

So, Ciara, how do you tell the difference between a male and a

-female tortoise?

-The male has a bigger tail.

That's right, the males have got a much bigger tail

than the female tortoises.

-What else is different?

-The male is bigger.

Yes, the male is much, much bigger than the female.

They can get really huge.

Look at that guy behind us, there.

-He is big!

-Yeah, really big!

He must be quite old as well.

Do you know how to tell that big tortoises are old?

-They have a smooth shell.

-Yes, they do.

The older tortoises have a very smooth shell,

because they've been walking around for a long time,

and those plates on the shell have worn away.

Some of these tortoises must be over 100 years old.

-That's a lot of birthday candles on the cake, isn't it?

-Yes.

These ones must be a bit younger, because we can still see the bumps.

-Yes.

-Very beautiful, aren't they?

I would like to relax as much as a tortoise,

because they can sleep up for to 16 hours a day.

It would be wonderful to be a Galapagos giant tortoise.

-Chilled out all the time.

-Yeah, Rory.

My Pet And Me!

Giant tortoises are amazing creatures, aren't they?

-They're my favourite.

-I can see why. They're beautiful.

But if they could do anything, what do you think they'd do?

If the giant tortoises could do anything,

they would go to a water park.

They would have great fun lying down

through the water slide on their shell.

They will make huge splashes when they land in the water,

because they are so big.

Splashy splash!

We've come to a very special centre in Santa Cruz that plays an

important part in protecting Galapagos giant tortoises.

So, Ciara, what can we hope to see today?

-It's a surprise, Rory!

-I love surprises!

Let's go!

Wow! Baby giant tortoises!

They are gorgeous!

This is incredible, look!

How many are there?

Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez, once,

doce, trece, catorze, quince, dieciseis, diecisiete, dieciocho.

18 baby giant tortoises! Aren't they adorable? Look at them!

These baby tortoises have been in the centre since they were tiny

eggs, when they were collected from the wild by rangers.

On the Galapagos Islands, there are dogs, pigs and rats,

that have been eating the eggs of giant tortoises.

When the eggs are collected and brought here, they're kept safe,

until the tortoises are big enough to be reintroduced

back into the wild. What an amazing job they do here.

-What are they like?

-They have a tiny shell.

Yes, it's very small, but it's going to be very big one day.

-It will be very big!

-Si.

They walk quite quickly, don't they? Much faster than the adults.

-Look, he's eating.

-Yes, he is.

Nibbling away on a leaf, there.

Mmm, delicious.

Those tiny little mouths.

Even though they're very small, they still have a very strong neck.

-They are strong.

-Si.

-And how old are these baby tortoises?

-One year.

One-year-old, they're very cute.

And it's hard to imagine that one day,

these tiny baby tortoises are going to grow

into the big Galapagos giant tortoises

we saw earlier today, isn't it?

Yes, Rory. It is incredible.

How old will they be when they're released back into the wild?

-Four or five years.

-Wow.

-So these guys have got a few more years to go.

-Yes.

Do you think these guys will enjoy having a big mud bath

-when they're older?

-Yes, Rory.

They've only got this little bath just now.

But when they're giant, they're going to have a huge mud bath

to squelch around in.

This is a fantastic surprise. Look how cute they are!

I feel so lucky to have seen baby giant tortoises,

they are just incredible.

Ciara, I've had such a brilliant time finding out

about these very special animals. Thank you very much.

You're welcome, Rory.

My Pet And Me!

-Hi, Ferne.

-Hi, Rory.

Check out all of these marine iguanas! It's so special!

-I know!

-There's loads. So, how was it?

-Oh, Ferne, it was awesome.

Ciara and I managed to track giant tortoises,

and we even got to see little baby ones at the centre!

That sounds incredible. You're so lucky!

I feel privileged to have seen such awesome creatures in the wild,

and to see what the local people are doing to protect them.

Thank you for spending time with us,

we just love sharing our animal adventures with you.

# Look where we've been

# Look what we've seen

# Thank you so much for showing us

# The animals of the Galapagos

# On land or sea So much to seek

-# Iguanas, crab

-And turtles too

-# Flamingos, sharks

-A giant tortoise or two

# Amazing wildlife to look at

# In its natural habitat

# Animals we've not seen before

# Come back soon and see some more

# My pet, my pet and me

# My pet, my pet and me

# My pet, my pet and me

# Come back and see

# My pet and me. #

ALL: Bye.