Reptiles: Aldabra Giant Tortoise

Description

The Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Geochelone gigantea) is one of the largest tortoises in the world. Similar in size to the famous Galapagos Giant Tortoise, its carapace averages 120 cm in length. The average weight of a male is around 250 kg, but one male at the Fort Worth, Texas zoo weighs over 360 kg.

The shell is a dark gray or black color with a high domed shape. It has stocky, heavily scaled legs to support its heavy body. The neck of the Aldabra Giant Tortoise is very long, even for its great size, which helps the animal to exploit tree branches up to a meter from the ground as a food source.

The main population of the Aldabra Giant Tortoise resides on the islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles. Another group of the animals resides on the island of Zanzibar. The tortoises exploit many different kinds of habitat including grasslands, low scrub, mangrove swamps, and coastal dunes.