Believed to be extinct for more than a century, a rare species of giant tortoise is in fact still alive.

Scientists assumed that the chelonoidis phantasticus had died out more than a century ago. The species is better known as the ‘fantastic giant tortoise’ and is native to the Galápagos Fernandina island.

The only known specimen was discovered in 1906.

But in 2019, Princeton researchers discovered a lone female tortoise on the island that hinted that the species might live on.

Last week, they finally proved that the two specimens are related.

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Giant tortoises can weigh as much as 417 kg and can grow up to 1.3m. They usually live between 80 and 120 years.

There are 14 different species of giant Galápagos tortoise, all descended from a single ancestor – and all listed on the IUCN Red List as either vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered or extinct.

Read more: yahoo