Endemic to the Seychelle Islands, an Indian Ocean archipelago east of the African coast, the Aldabra giant tortoise (or Aldabrachelys gigantea) is a reptilian species capable of growing to extremely large sizes. Males average between 200 and 250 kg, while the smaller females still average between 121 and 159kg. Their shells are a dull, grey-brown colour made up of peaked keratinous plates and their skin is scaly and grey.
Latin Name
Aldabrachelys gigantea
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Animal Facts
The Aldabra giant tortoise has one of the longest lifespans of any animal in the world. The oldest ever recorded reached the age of 255.
Aldabra tortoises are so large that they carve paths through their environments which are often used by other foraging animals. They provide an important ecosystem service by doing this.
Although Aldabra giant tortoises are rarely predated upon due to their large size, their eggs and juvenile tortoises are vulnerable to predation by crabs.
The sex of a tortoise hatchling is dependent on the incubation temperature of the eggs. Warm temperatures produce more females and cool temperatures produce more males.