Aldabra giant tortoise: habitat, lifespan and conservation

« The Aldabra giant tortoise is the largest land tortoise in the world »

The tortoise of record-breaking achievements

Aldabra giant tortoises are famous for breaking records.

Male Aldabra giant tortoises weigh an average of 250 kg, while females average around 160 kg. Some individuals, however, are even more impressive. The heaviest known Aldabra giant tortoise is Esmeralda, who lives on Bird Island in the Seychelles and is believed to weigh around 310 kg.

Their lifespan is equally extraordinary. The oldest known individual is Jonathan, a male that still lives on the grounds of the Governor’s residence on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic. His estimated birth year is 1832, making him approximately 193 years old.

Aldabra giant tortoise - ZooParc's extraordinary animals

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Baby news!

A clutch of 12 hatchlings

In 2022, Beauval proudly celebrated the exceptional birth of 12 Aldabra giant tortoises. Such a breeding success is extremely rare in zoological parks. From mating and egg laying to incubation and hatching, every stage represented a remarkable achievement for the animal care teams.

Today, these young tortoises have grown considerably and can be seen in the Equatorial Dome.

A giant under threat

The Aldabra giant tortoise is classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Since the sixteenth century, sailors and settlers have captured these tortoises for their meat and eggs, a practice that led to the near extinction of giant tortoises throughout the Indian Ocean.

Although protection measures and the ban on collecting tortoises have allowed populations on Aldabra Atoll to recover, the species still faces significant threats. Extreme weather events such as cyclones and storm surges, human-caused pollution including oil spills, and the illegal exotic pet trade continue to endanger its future. Every year, more than 640,000 reptiles are illegally captured worldwide and sold through the exotic pet market.

By presenting the Aldabra giant tortoise in the Equatorial Dome, ZooParc de Beauval is committed to helping conserve this remarkable species while raising public awareness of the challenges involved in protecting it.

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Learn more about the species

Range

Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles

Diet

Mostly herbivorous omnivore
Incubation

3 to 8 months
Litter size

4 to 25 eggs
Habitat

Pastures, Sandy shores, Forests, Mangroves

Courtship beneath the shell

In this species, sexual maturity depends on size rather than age. Most individuals begin breeding once they have reached around half of their adult size, usually at about 25 years of age. Male tortoises are not particularly selective when choosing a mate. The only requirement is that the other tortoise’s shell is smaller than their own. As a result, many mating attempts are unsuccessful, and males occasionally attempt to mate with other males.

A remarkable traveller

Despite its impressive size, the Aldabra giant tortoise moves with surprising ease thanks to its powerful, pillar-like legs. It is capable of travelling long distances, with some individuals recorded covering up to 25 kilometres across the islets of Aldabra within just a few months. It is also an excellent swimmer and can easily move between islands. This ability is thought to explain how the ancestors of today’s giant tortoises colonised islands across the Indian Ocean from mainland Africa.

A keystone species

The Aldabra giant tortoise plays a vital role in its ecosystem by dispersing the seeds of the herbaceous plants it feeds on. In doing so, it helps maintain the grasslands where it lives. It also supports another remarkable species, the terrestrial hermit crab Coenobita rugosus, which feeds on the tortoise’s droppings. Through these interactions, the Aldabra giant tortoise contributes significantly to the health and balance of its natural environment.