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An Aldabra giant tortoise, an example of a giant tortoise. Giant tortoises are any of several species of various large land tortoises, which include a number of extinct species, [1] as well as two extant species with multiple subspecies formerly common on the islands of the western Indian Ocean and on the Galápagos Islands. [2]
Jonathan (hatched c. 1832) [2] [3] is a Seychelles giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa), a subspecies of the Aldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea).His approximate age is estimated to be 192 as of 2025, making him the oldest known living land animal.
The Aldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea) is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae and genus Aldabrachelys. The species is endemic to the Seychelles , with the nominate subspecies , A. g. gigantea native to Aldabra atoll.
Arnold's giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea arnoldi), also known as the Seychelles saddle-backed giant tortoise, is a tortoise subspecies in the genus Aldabrachelys. It inhabited the large central granitic Seychelles islands, but was hunted in vast numbers by European sailors.
In 1919 the British governor of Seychelles sent a gift of four Aldabra giant tortoises to Changuu from the island of Aldabra. [1] These tortoises bred quickly and by 1955 they numbered around 200 animals. However people began to steal the tortoises for sale abroad as pets or for food and their numbers dropped rapidly. By 1988 there were around ...
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The three Aldabra-Seychelles giant tortoise subspecies can be distinguished based on carapace shape, however, many captive animals may have distorted carapaces and so may be difficult to identify. The Seychelles giant tortoise ( A. g. hololissa ) is broad, flattened on the back and with raised scutes ; it is usually a brownish-grey color.
The Galápagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra) and the Aldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea) are considered the largest truly terrestrial reptiles alive today. [1] While the Aldabra tortoise averages larger at 205 kg (452 lb), the more variable-sized Galapagos tortoise can reach a greater maximum size of 400 kg (880 lb) and 1.85 m (6.1 ...