Chelonoidis niger microphyes

This tortoise is a subspecies of Chelonoidis niger, and is sometimes considered to be a distinct species of its own. The type locality is Tagus Cove, near the base of Darwin Volcano on Isabela Island.[4]

Male tortoises grow to about 135 cm and females to about 86 cm in length, with domed carapaces.[3]

The tortoises are mainly active in the early morning and late afternoon, resting in shade during the hottest part of the day and sleeping beneath shrubs at night. After heavy rain they wallow in muddy pools. Adults migrate seasonally from the caldera of the volcano to its lower slopes to graze on vegetation after wet season rains.[3]

The tortoise's range is limited to an area of about 67 km² on the south-western slope of Darwin Volcano on the northern part of Isabela Island. There it inhabits deciduous and evergreen forests as well as dry grassland.[3]

The tortoise population is estimated to comprise some 500–1,000 mature individuals, a decline of 94% since 1840, and the subspecies is considered to be Endangered. The tortoises were historically overexploited for food and oil by sailors and settlers. Ongoing threats include predation of eggs and hatchlings and competition for food by introduced animals, including feral dogs, feral cats, rats, mice, domestic pigs and goats, as well as habitat degradation and volcanic eruptions.[3]