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Aldabra Giant Tortoise

August 26, 2021

Aldabra Giant Tortoise

Today’s animal is a stocky, sluggish, sizably-shelled titan: the Aldabra giant tortoise! The Aldabrachelys gigantea is found on the Aldabra island group north of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Let’s learn more about this tortoise!

Physical Features

  • Their shells are dark grey to black.
  • Males’ shells can be up to 4 feet long and can weigh 550 lbs. or more.
  • Their full lifespan is unknown, but they frequently reach up to 100 years in age.
  • They are the largest animal of the Aldabra atoll.

Habitat and Diet

  • These herbivores live in mangroves, dunes, and grasslands.
  • They knock over trees and shrubs to create “tortoise turf:” areas of 20 different grasses and herbs that evolved due to the animal’s grazing habits.
  • They can go without food or water for long periods of time.
Behavior

Behavior

  • Aldabra giant tortoises are found living in herds or individually.
  • Males will fight for breeding rights and territory.
  • They forage most in the morning. During the hot part of the day, they dig burrows for shade.
  • They sleep for up to 18 hours per day.

Conservation

  • By 1900, the Aldabra giant tortoise was the last of 18 similar species in its region.
  • It is one of the first protected species. Charles Darwin and other scientists worked with the local government to protect them.
  • The oldest known living land animal is a Seychelles giant tortoise, a subspecies of the Aldabra. Hatched in 1832, Jonathan is now blind and can’t smell but lives comfortably on St. Helena Island, west of Africa.

1 Comment

  1. Roger Stoll

    Giant tortoise are Aldo found on the Galapagos Island and some are well over 100 years old.

    Reply

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