🐢 Aldabra giant tortoise vs Alligator snapping turtle 🐢

The Aldabra giant tortoise is a bit bigger than the alligator snapping turtle. The Aldabra giant tortoise weighs about 3 times as much as the alligator snapping turtle.

Getting the animals ready…

🧒 our measuring child, 4 ft1.2 m🐢 Aldabra giant tortoise, 35.8 in to 4 ft91 cm to 1.2 m long🐢 Alligator snapping turtle, 31.1 in to 3.3 ft79 cm to 1 m long▬ the bar shows the range the sources give; the drawing stands in the middle

Row	🐢 Aldabra giant tortoise	🐢 Alligator snapping turtle
Size The Aldabra giant tortoise is a bit bigger than the alligator snapping turtle.	36 in to 4 ft91 cm to 1.2 m1	31 in to 3.3 ft79 cm to 1 m2
Top speed Neither has a checked number yet.	no checked number yet	no checked number yet
Weight The Aldabra giant tortoise weighs about 3 times as much as the alligator snapping turtle.	351 to 551 lb159 to 250 kg1	154 to 176 lb70 to 80 kg2
Lives The Aldabra giant tortoise usually lives about 4 times as long as the alligator snapping turtle.	100 years100 years1	11 to 45 years11 to 45 years2
Eats The Aldabra giant tortoise eats plants; the alligator snapping turtle eats plants and animals.	grass, leaves, woody plants and fallen fruit	mostly fish, plus shellfish and sometimes small mammals
Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.	Aldabra, a ring of coral islands in the Indian Ocean, and a few nearby islands where people have brought them	deep fresh water in the southeastern United States, such as big rivers, canals, lakes and swamps

Which one? Aldabra giant tortoise or alligator snapping turtle

📏 Length

🐢 Aldabra giant tortoise36 in to 4 ft91 cm to 1.2 m1

🐢 Alligator snapping turtle31 in to 3.3 ft79 cm to 1 m2

⚖️ Weight

🐢 Aldabra giant tortoise351 to 551 lb159 to 250 kg1

🐢 Alligator snapping turtle154 to 176 lb70 to 80 kg2

🎂 Lives

🐢 Aldabra giant tortoise100 years100 years1

🐢 Alligator snapping turtle11 to 45 years11 to 45 years2

🏁 Who would win the race?

We don't have a checked top speed for the Aldabra giant tortoise or the alligator snapping turtle yet, so there is no race.

We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed.

9 things to know about Aldabra giant tortoise vs Alligator snapping turtle

The Aldabra giant tortoise: A giant island tortoise that can live for a very long time.
The alligator snapping turtle: A heavy freshwater turtle with a rough, ridged shell.
They are the same kind of animal: both are reptiles.
The Aldabra giant tortoise is a bit bigger than the alligator snapping turtle: 1 against 2.
The Aldabra giant tortoise weighs about 3 times as much as the alligator snapping turtle. That is 1 for the Aldabra giant tortoise and 2 for the alligator snapping turtle.
The Aldabra giant tortoise usually lives about 4 times as long as the alligator snapping turtle. Usual lifespans: 1 for the Aldabra giant tortoise and 2 for the alligator snapping turtle.
The Aldabra giant tortoise eats grass, leaves, woody plants and fallen fruit. The alligator snapping turtle eats mostly fish, plus shellfish and sometimes small mammals.
The Aldabra giant tortoise lives in Aldabra, a ring of coral islands in the Indian Ocean, and a few nearby islands where people have brought them. The alligator snapping turtle lives in deep fresh water in the southeastern United States, such as big rivers, canals, lakes and swamps. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
The alligator snapping turtle: in danger (Endangered on the IUCN Red List). 3

Wow facts

🐢 Aldabra giant tortoise

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.

🐢 Alligator snapping turtle

An alligator snapping turtle lives in deep fresh water.
Most of its food is fish.
It is one of the heaviest freshwater turtles.

Questions kids ask about Aldabra giant tortoise and Alligator snapping turtle

Which is bigger, Aldabra giant tortoise or alligator snapping turtle?

The Aldabra giant tortoise is a bit bigger than the alligator snapping turtle: 1 against 2.

Which is heavier, Aldabra giant tortoise or alligator snapping turtle?

The Aldabra giant tortoise weighs about 3 times as much as the alligator snapping turtle. That is 1 for the Aldabra giant tortoise and 2 for the alligator snapping turtle.

Which lives longer, Aldabra giant tortoise or alligator snapping turtle?

The Aldabra giant tortoise usually lives about 4 times as long as the alligator snapping turtle. Usual lifespans: 1 for the Aldabra giant tortoise and 2 for the alligator snapping turtle.

What do Aldabra giant tortoise and alligator snapping turtle eat?

The Aldabra giant tortoise eats grass, leaves, woody plants and fallen fruit. The alligator snapping turtle eats mostly fish, plus shellfish and sometimes small mammals.

Where do Aldabra giant tortoise and alligator snapping turtle live?

The Aldabra giant tortoise lives in Aldabra, a ring of coral islands in the Indian Ocean, and a few nearby islands where people have brought them. The alligator snapping turtle lives in deep fresh water in the southeastern United States, such as big rivers, canals, lakes and swamps. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.

Who would win, Aldabra giant tortoise or alligator snapping turtle?

We never show fights, because a fight is not a fair way to compare animals. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. What we can compare is how big, how heavy, how fast, how long they live and what they eat, as above.

📤 Share this pair

The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/aldabra-tortoise-vs-alligator-snapping-turtle

Where these numbers come from

Smithsonian's National Zoo, checked 30 October 2026.
University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Macrochelys temminckii (alligator snapping turtle), checked 10 November 2026.
Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.