Judaism and the Galápagos Islands: How Jewish Sources Explain Unique Animals Around the World

How does Judaism view strange animals like those on the Galápagos Islands? Does Judaism mention the phenomenon of different animals appearing in distant parts of the world?

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Shalom and blessings,

The creatures on the Galápagos Islands are not essentially different from those found on other continents. I assume you are referring to the giant tortoise or the iguana. However, tortoises and iguanas also exist in other parts of the world. The only difference is that on the Galápagos Islands they grew to unusually large sizes. Indeed, Judaism does address this phenomenon.

The Zohar states (Zohar, Vayikra, Part 3, 10a): “And all these creatures differ in their appearance because of changes in the air, according to each place.” All living creatures across the globe are essentially the same, but their external appearance changes due to differences in climate and environment. The Zohar teaches that living beings adapt their features over time to match their surroundings.

It should be noted that this is not the concept of evolution, but rather genetic variation — external changes that occur naturally. This is why the world contains people with darker or lighter skin, Asian features, and in a similar way, animals in different places develop different sizes and colors while still belonging to the same species or family.