ALDABRA TORTOISE

Geochelone gigantea

  • Common name:
    ALDABRA TORTOISE

    Scientific name:
    Geochelone gigantea

    Class:
    Reptiles

    Order:
    Testudinati

    Family:
    Testudinatidi

    Provenance:
    Seychelles Islands

    Diet:
    herbs – fruits – vegetables

    Habitat:
    grassland, bush, mangrove swamps, coastal dunes

    Reproduction:
    spawn: 4-14 – Incubation: 98-200 days

  • The Aldabra Giant Tortoise lives in humid areas close to woods and ponds. On the islands which they live, these animals are found both on the coasts and in the internal areas. It has a peaceful and docile temperament.
    The male can reach 120cm of length and weigh 200 kg. The females are smaller. The shell is brownish-gray. The legs are stocky and strong. It differentiates from the species that lives in the Galapagos islands for the presence of an asymmetric head plate. On the contrary to what is commonly thought, the giant tortoises don’t have a very strong shell. In the absence of a natural enemy, evolution allowed them to reduce the hard part of their shell.
    The female lays 4-15 eggs in a deep hole.
    It is an endangered species due to exploitation by man.