ALDABRA TORTOISE

Aldabra tortoise (Geochelone gigantea or Aldabrachelys gigantea) from the Atoll with the same name in the Seychelles, is the second largest tortoise in the world. It is slightly smaller than the giant Galapagos tortoise. Its carapace (shell) averages 120 centimetres (47 inches) in length. A male Aldabra tortoise can weigh over 360 kilograms (794 lb). The Aldabra tortoise is among the longest living animals on earth. No one knows exactly how long these animals are capable of living, but they are believed to easily surpass 100 years. So far, the tortoises studied have outlived the scientists studying them, thus proper records couldn't be maintained. The Aldabra Atoll has been protected and is home to some 100,000 giant tortoises, the world's largest population of the animal. Another isolated population of the species resides on the island of Zanzibar, and other captive populations exist in conservation parks in Mauritius and Rodrigues. [Aldabra tortoise facts]