La tortuga gigante de Aldabra (Aldabrachelys gigantea), endémica del archipiélago de las Seychelles ubicado en la costa este de África, en el Índico, es una especie de reptil capaz de alcanzar tamaños extremadamente grandes. Los machos alcanzan una media de entre 200 y 250 kg, mientras que las hembras, más pequeñas, oscilan entre los 121 y los 159 kg. Su concha es de un gris parduzco apagado y está compuesta de placas de queratina que se disponen formando picos, mientras que su piel es gris y escamosa.
Latin Name
Aldabrachelys gigantea
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aldabra-giant-tortoise
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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.