Aldabra giant tortoise Facts for Kids
Aldabrachelys gigantea · al-dab-ruh-KEL-eez jy-GAN-tee-uh
A giant island tortoise that can live for a very long time.
- 🏃 speed: not yet checked
- ⚖️ 351 to 551 lb159 to 250 kg1
- 📏 36 in to 4 ft91 cm to 1.2 m1 long
- 🎂 100 years100 years1
- 🍽️ plants
- Not on the Red List (Not assessed)
The Aldabra tortoise is a giant tortoise with a big, domed shell. It lives on islands in the Indian Ocean. It munches grass and leaves and cools off in muddy puddles.
An Aldabra tortoise's long neck helps it reach leaves on low branches and bushes. Some of these tortoises live longer than the people who look after them. In the heat of the day it rests in shade or sinks into a muddy puddle to cool down.
Aldabra giant tortoises live on Aldabra, a ring-shaped coral island in the Indian Ocean, where they are the biggest plant-eaters. As they graze, they shape the plants around them and spread seeds in their droppings. Long ago sailors took giant tortoises from many islands, and most kinds vanished, but the Aldabra tortoise survived, partly thanks to its remote home. Today Aldabra is a protected World Heritage site.
How big is a Aldabra giant tortoise?
Aldabra giant tortoise in numbers
| Length | 36 in to 4 ft91 cm to 1.2 m1 |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | no checked number yet |
| Weight | 351 to 551 lb159 to 250 kg1 |
| Top speed | no checked number yet |
| How long it lives | 100 years100 years1more than |
| What it eats | grass, leaves, woody plants and fallen fruit |
| Where it lives | Aldabra, a ring of coral islands in the Indian Ocean, and a few nearby islands where people have brought them |
| What kind | Reptiles |
| Is it in danger? | Not on the Red List (Not assessed) |
A number we couldn’t find on a page we trust says so, instead of guessing.
Wow!
- Some Aldabra tortoises outlive the people who care for them.
- It cools off by lying in muddy puddles.
- It spreads seeds in its droppings, which helps plants grow.
Compare the Aldabra giant tortoise
Friends and neighbours
Mojave desert tortoise
Green sea turtle
African elephantThree questions
Books about the Aldabra giant tortoise, free at the library
Ask a grown-up to tap the button: it shows where to borrow a book about the Aldabra giant tortoise for free.
Where these numbers come from
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, Aldabra giant tortoise (Q27885022), checked 30 October 2026.