Aldabra Tortoise
- Geochelone gigantea
- With an average length of 47 inches and weight up to 550 pounds (males), they are similar in size to the famous Galapagos giant tortoise.
- Their longevity is difficult to verify since they outlive their human observers, however an Aldabra tortoise died in 2006 in a zoo in India, it is believed that it was 255 years old.
- Aldabra tortoises are found in a variety of habitats including grasslands, low scrub, mangrove swamps, and coastal dunes on the islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles.
- They eat grasses, leaves, and woody plant stems and occasionally small invertebrates and carrion. Carrion is the carcass of a dead animal that becomes food for other animals.
- Being neutrally buoyant, they are excellent swimmers and seem to enjoy soaking in water occasionally.
Location at Palm Beach Zoo
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