Nativa delle isole Seychelles, arcipelago dell'oceano Indiano a est della costa africana, la tartaruga gigante di Aldabra (o Aldabrachelys gigantea) è un rettile capace di raggiungere dimensioni davvero considerevoli. I maschi pesano tra i 200 e i 250 chili, mentre le femmine sono più piccole e pesano tra i 121 e i 159 chili. Ha un guscio smussato di colore grigio-marrone con placche fatte di cheratina, mentre la pelle è squamosa e grigia.
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.