Overview
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Interesting Facts
- Tortoises have been known to knock down small trees and shrubs to obtain nutritional leaves. A number of woody plants are readily eaten, and some show a conspicuous browse line about a meter above the ground , or as high the tortoises can stretch their necks. In the case of danger, the turtle is able to pull its body into its thick shell for protection.
- Among the tortoises, this species is second only in size to the slightly larger species found on the Galapagos Islands. Life Span is believed to surpass 100 years. It is believed that tortoises are the longest lived of all animals. Standing water is limited so the tortoise relies heavily on metabolic water and water in its food. It digs burrows to stay cool and stays in the shade during the hot weather.
Common Names
Click on the language to view common names.
Common Names in English:
Aldabra Giant Tortoise, Aldabra Tortoise
Common Names in French:
Tortue Géante, Tortue Géante D'aldabra
Common Names in Russian:
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Description
Physical Description
Species Geochelone gigantea
Males average a 122 cm carapace (shell ) and weigh 120 kg while the females average a 91 cm carapace and weigh 159 kg. The thick carapace is brownish gray and highly domed . The head is narrowly pointed with a convex forehead. The tail, head, neck, and limbs are gray. Males have larger and longer tails than the females.
Habitat
many differenthabitats on the islands- scrub , mangrove swamp, coastal dune, and largest concentration on grasslands
Biome: Terrestrial
Biology
Diet
primarily vegetarian, but also small invertebrates , little carrion , decaying flesh of dead land crabs and other turtles.
Reproduction
Sexual maturity is determined by size rather than age. Most begin to reproduce when they reach approximately half their eventual size. Mating takes place from February to May. Eggs are laid in a shallow nest . females lay between 9-25 eggs of which less than half are fertile in a low density population. The female may lay several clutches of 12-14 eggs a year. Hatching occurs from early October to mid December.
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Animalia
()
- Linnaeus, 1758
- animals
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
()
- (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983
- Branch:
Deuterostomia
()
- Grobben, 1908
- Infrakingdom:
Chordonia
()
- (Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Phylum:
Chordata
()
- Bateson, 1885
- Chordates
- Subphylum:
Vertebrata
()
- Cuvier, 1812
- Vertebrates
- Infraphylum:
Gnathostomata
()
- Auct.
- Jawed Vertebrates
- Superclass:
Tetrapoda
()
- Goodrich, 1930
- Class:
Reptilia
()
- Reptiles
- Subclass:
Anapsida
()
- Order:
Testudines
()
- Suborder:
Cryptodira
()
- Superfamily:
Testudinoidea
()
- Family:
Testudinidae
()
- Genus:
Geochelone
()
- Specific name:
gigantea
- (Schweigger, 1812)
- Scientific name: - Geochelone gigantea (Schweigger, 1812)
- Specific name:
gigantea
- (Schweigger, 1812)
- Genus:
Geochelone
(
- Family:
Testudinidae
(
- Superfamily:
Testudinoidea
(
- Suborder:
Cryptodira
(
- Order:
Testudines
(
- Subclass:
Anapsida
(
- Class:
Reptilia
(
- Superclass:
Tetrapoda
(
- Infraphylum:
Gnathostomata
(
- Subphylum:
Vertebrata
(
- Phylum:
Chordata
(
- Infrakingdom:
Chordonia
(
- Branch:
Deuterostomia
(
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
(
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
Similar Species
Members of the genus Geochelone
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 59 species and subspecies in this genus:
G. atlas · G. becki · G. bolivari · G. carbonaria (South American Red-Footed Tortoise) · G. chathamensis · G. chilensis (Southern Wood Tortoise) · G. chilensis chilensis (Southern Wood Tortoise) · G. chilensis donosobarrosi · G. chilensis petersi · G. chiliensis · G. crassiscutata · G. darwini · G. denticulata (South American Yellow-Footed Tortoise) · G. elegans (Indian Starred Tortoise) · G. elephantophus (Galapagos Giant Tortoise) · G. elephantopus · G. elephantopus chathamensis · G. emys · G. ephippium · G. forstenii · G. gigantea (Aldabra Giant Tortoise) · G. grandidieri · G. guentheri · G. gymnesica · G. hesperotestudo · G. hesterna · G. hoodensis · G. microphyes · G. nigra (Abingdon Island Tortoise) · G. nigra abingdoni · G. nigra abingdonii · G. nigra becki (Volcan Wolf Tortoise) · G. nigra chathamensis (Chatham Island Tortoise) · G. nigra darwini (James Island Tortoise) · G. nigra duncanensis · G. nigra ephippium (Duncan Island Tortoise) · G. nigra galapagoensis (Charles Island Tortoise) · G. nigra guntheri (Sierra Negra Tortoise) · G. nigra hoodensis (Hood Island Tortoise) · G. nigra microphyes (Volcan Darwin Tortoise) · G. nigra nigra · G. nigra nigrita · G. nigra or · G. nigra porteri (Indefatigable Island Tortoise) · G. nigra vandenburghi (Volcan Alcedo Tortoise) · G. nigra vicina (Iguana Cove Tortoise) · G. nigrita · G. oelrichi · G. orthopygia · G. pardalis (Leopard Tortoise) · G. pardalis babcocki · G. pardalis pardalis · G. platynota (Burmese Starred Tortoise) · G. radiata (Radiated Tortoise) · G. stromeri · G. sulcata (African Spurred Tortoise) · G. tabulata · G. yniphora (Madagascar Angulated Tortoise) · G. denticulata
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
- Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). London: BM(NH) ENG url p. 85, p. 86, p. 88.
- Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. Cambridge, Mass.: The Museum, ENG url p. 295.
- Groombridge, B. (ed.) 1994. 1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
- Groombridge, B. 1982. The IUCN Amphibia-Reptilia Red Data Book, Part 1: Testudines, Crocodylia, Rhynocehapalia. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
- IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre. 1986. 1986 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
- IUCN. 1990. 1990 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
Notes
Contributors
- Clark, M. A. WhoZoo.
- Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group 1996. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 18, 2008.
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2549799
- IUCN ID: 9010
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 3963289
