Aldabra Tortoise

Did you know...

The Aldabra tortoise is the second largest land tortoise in the world. The first is the Galapagos tortoise.

Aldabra tortoises have high, domed shells that are dark brown or gray. Their hind legs are cylindrical and columnar like the legs of

an elephant, toes are short, and they have snake-like necks.
The Aldabra tortoise is one of the longest-lived animals on earth, if not the longest. No one knows exactly how long

these animals are capable of living, but they are believed to easily surpass 100 years. The tortoises fill a niche very similar to the one occupied by elephants in Africa and Asia. As with elephants, they are the main consumers of vegetation and noticeably alter the habitat during their search for food. Tortoises have been known to knock over small trees and shrubs to obtain nutritious leaves. This makes pathways and clearings within the forestlands for other animals. Seeds pass through the tortoise's digestive tract and eventually become food for many other species.

They graze on low-growing grasses and herbs, using their beaks to clip at the vegetation. This constant grazing has put evolutionary pressure on the vegetation, causing creation of 'tortoise turf' which is a mix of low-growing plants and herbs that grow their seeds low to the ground as to avoid being eaten by the tortoises. They also browse on woody plants which they can reach for with their long necks, up to three feet high. They occasionally feed on small invertebrates and carrion.

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Big Tortoise. Small home.

Aldabra tortoises are found on the small island of Aldabra, hence their name. Everything they need is on the island. It's very important their island is protected to prevent any unnatural changes. If disease were introduced or something happened to their low growing food source, this species could go extinct very easily.

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Aldabra tortoise protection

The Aldabra tortoise is the only remaining species out of 18 former species of tortoise that once flourished on the islands of the Indian Ocean. The others went extinct because of hunting by sailors and the predation of eggs and hatchlings by introduced species such as rats, cats, and pigs.

This was one of the first species to be protected in order to ensure its survival for the future. Charles Darwin and other notable conservationists of the day along with the governor of Mauritius set aside a captive breeding population on Mauritius as well as protecting the Aldabra Atoll.