Giant Galapagos tortoise casually blocks highway on Santa Cruz Island

This magnificent beast has emerged from the brush on one side of Santa Cruz' main roads, making his way across to the vegetation on the other side. But he is in no hurry as he moves and he is not concerned about the traffic that is now common on his island. There was no traffic here when he began his life, long before this road was anything more than a trail.
The giant Galapagos tortoise is one of the most iconic animals in the world. Known as one of the longest-living vertebrates on the planet, these animals are magnificent and awe-inspiring. If only they could tell us their stories.
This giant beast is well over 150kg (330lbs) and has probably been roaming the island of Santa Cruz for more than 100 years. He eats, sleeps, and leaves enormous droppings all day long. Tortoises will eat almost any kind of vegetation and they do so in great quantities. They store large amounts of water and food, giving them the ability to go without either for up to a year.
The giant Galapagos tortoises are believed to be descended from African tortoises, having arrived here on floating rafts of vegetation. Few animals would survive a trip across the ocean like this, but their ability to go without fresh water or food for very prolonged periods makes this possible.
Giant tortoises have no means of defence from predators except to pull their heads into their shells. Their solid shells and armoured legs make it difficult for even a determined creature to harm them and they can simply sleep and outwait any predator.
The longevity of this species is also what makes it possible for enough of the eggs to reach maturity. The young are easily predated by birds, dogs, rats, and other creatures and it is only the fact that a mature female lays many eggs over her lifetime that makes it possible for their populations to be maintained.
The locals carefully make their way around the animals, respecting the need for distance. If a tortoise wanders onto the roadway, traffic will stop until the tortoise is safely across. Galapaganians live in harmony with nature and with the animals that have been here on the islands long before humans.