Seychelles Giant Tortoise

Why in News?

Recently, the world's oldest living land animal, at 193 years, Jonathan, a nearly 200-year-old tortoise, trended globally after death rumours on the island of St. Helena.

• Scientific name – Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa
• Family – Testudinidae
• It is a rare subspecies of the Aldabra giant tortoise native to the granitic islands of the Seychelles.
• Commonly known as – the Seychelles giant tortoise or the Seychelles domed giant tortoise.
• Habitat – They inhabit grasslands, scrub forests, and coastal dunes.
• Distribution – Native to the Seychelles, its largest surviving population today is found on the Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• It was once found on many islands of the Indian Ocean.
• For conservation purposes, they have also been introduced to other islands of Seychelles to safeguard their survival.
• Size – Males can weigh up to 250 kg, females around 150–160 kg.
• Physical Appearance – It has a broad, brownish-grey carapace that is flattened on the back with raised scutes.
• This distinguishes it from the more roundly-domed A. g. gigantea and the saddle-backed A. g. arnoldi.

• Morphology – Dome-shaped shell, strong limbs, herbivorous diet, slow-moving reptile with an extraordinary lifespan.
• Reproduction – Females lay clutches of 9–25 eggs. Hatchlings are vulnerable to predation, requiring conservation efforts for survival.
• Adaptation – Adapted to arid island ecosystems, capable of surviving on limited vegetation and water, their slow metabolism supports longevity.
• Diet – Primarily herbivorous, feeding on grasses, leaves, fruits, and woody plant stems.
• Conservation Status 
  • IUCN – Vulnerable
  • CITES – Appendix II
• Threats – Habitat loss, illegal hunting, and climate change.

References

1. The Hindu | Jonathan
2. Nature seychelles | Aldabra-giant-tortoise