Editing Breeding back (section)

=== Galápagos giant tortoise ===
[[File:Chelonoidis nigra becki.jpg|thumb|Volcán Wolf tortoises hybridised with the Floreana Island tortoises, allowing for breeding back to restore the extinct subspecies.]]
In 2012, several hybrids of the [[Volcán Wolf giant tortoise|Volcán Wolf]] and extinct [[Floreana giant tortoise]] subspecies were discovered on [[Isabela Island (Galápagos)|Isabela Island]] in the Galápagos Archipelago, a territory of [[Ecuador]]. It is believed that sailors left these tortoises on the island during their travels in the early 19th century.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Garrick |first1=Ryan C. |last2=Benavides |first2=Edgar |last3=Russello |first3=Michael A. |last4=Gibbs |first4=James P. |last5=Poulakakis |first5=Nikos |last6=Dion |first6=Kirstin B. |last7=Hyseni |first7=Chaz |last8=Kajdacsi |first8=Brittney |last9=Márquez |first9=Lady |last10=Bahan |first10=Sarah |last11=Ciofi |first11=Claudio |last12=Tapia |first12=Washington |last13=Caccone |first13=Adalgisa |date=2012-01-10 |title=Genetic rediscovery of an 'extinct' Galápagos giant tortoise species |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0960982211013765 |journal=Current Biology |language=English |volume=22 |issue=1 |pages=R10–R11 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2011.12.004 |issn=0960-9822 |pmid=22240469|bibcode=2012CBio...22..R10G |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Miller |first1=Joshua M. |last2=Quinzin |first2=Maud C. |last3=Poulakakis |first3=Nikos |last4=Gibbs |first4=James P. |last5=Beheregaray |first5=Luciano B. |last6=Garrick |first6=Ryan C. |last7=Russello |first7=Michael A. |last8=Ciofi |first8=Claudio |last9=Edwards |first9=Danielle L. |last10=Hunter |first10=Elizabeth A. |last11=Tapia |first11=Washington |last12=Rueda |first12=Danny |last13=Carrión |first13=Jorge |last14=Valdivieso |first14=Andrés A. |last15=Caccone |first15=Adalgisa |date=2017-09-13 |title=Identification of Genetically Important Individuals of the Rediscovered Floreana Galápagos Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis elephantopus) Provides Founders for Species Restoration Program |journal=Scientific Reports |language=en |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=11471 |doi=10.1038/s41598-017-11516-2 |pmid=28904401 |pmc=5597637 |bibcode=2017NatSR...711471M |issn=2045-2322|hdl=2158/1116383 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> In 2017, back breeding efforts began to help the hybrids regain genetic purity of the Floreana subspecies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reptiles of Ecuador book |url=https://www.reptilesofecuador.com/index.html |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=www.reptilesofecuador.com}}</ref> By 2023, 400 Floreana offspring have been hatched from these hybrids on [[Santa Cruz Island (Galápagos)|Santa Cruz Island]], with plans to release these back bred animals into the wilds of [[Floreana Island]] to regain their niche following the successful extirpation of [[invasive species]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=12 missing species set to return to Floreana, Galápagos |url=https://www.islandconservation.org/12-galapagos-species-for-floreana/ |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Island Conservation |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nicholls |first=Henry |date=2024-04-12 |title=The return of the Floreana giant tortoise |url=https://galapagosconservation.org.uk/floreana-giant-tortoise-reintroduction/ |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Galapagos Conservation Trust |language=en}}</ref>