How Does Judaism View the Existence of Unique Animals Like Those on the Galapagos Islands?

Hello and blessings,,

The creatures on the Galapagos Islands are not fundamentally different from those on other continents. I assume you are referring to the giant tortoise or iguana. However, tortoises and iguanas also live on other continents, but on the Galapagos Islands, they have grown to remarkably large sizes. Indeed, there is a reference to this in Judaism.

In the "Zohar HaKadosh" it is said (Book of Leviticus, Part 3, Page 10a(:
""All those unique creatures appear as a result of changes in the air. Each location has its own" - and all those creatures on the other side of the world appear different due to the changes in the air, as it is in each place (meaning, all living creatures differ in appearance because of the different climates in each place). The Zohar teaches that all living creatures on Earth are essentially the same, but have changed over time due to changes in climate and environment. The Zohar essentially explains that living creatures change to adapt to their external environment. It is important to note that this is not evolution, but genetic variations - meaning external changes, which is why there are people with different skin colors and Asians, and similarly, animals in different places exhibit different sizes and colors while still belonging to the same family.

With blessings,

Daniel Bels