Rescued · Four live here

Aldabra Giant Tortoise

Aldabrachelys gigantea

An immense, long-lived island tortoise and an ecosystem engineer of the Seychelles. Meet Ally, Groot, Homer and Marge, the Aldabra giant tortoises of Plumpton Park Zoo in Rising Sun, Maryland.

Plan Your Visit Meet Our Tortoises

An Aldabra giant tortoise walking on grass at Plumpton Park Zoo

SizeShell up to 4 ft

WeightUp to 550 lb

LifespanMore than 100 years

Conservation statusVulnerable

Our giant tortoises

Meet Ally, Groot, Homer and Marge

Four giants from a coral atoll, at home in Rising Sun.

AllyGrootHomerMarge♥ Rescued

Four Aldabra giant tortoises live at Plumpton Park Zoo: Ally, Groot, Homer and Marge. About half of our animals came to us from people and places that could no longer care for them, and once an animal arrives, this is its home for life.

Aldabra giant tortoises are among the largest living tortoises. Mature males can weigh several hundred pounds, supported by thick, column-like legs and a massive domed shell. Females are generally smaller, but both sexes can live for well over a century.

These animals belong to one of the last surviving natural populations of giant tortoises. Similar giants once lived on many western Indian Ocean islands, but most disappeared after people arrived.

An Aldabra giant tortoise at Plumpton Park Zoo. This species is one of the largest and longest-lived reptiles on Earth.

For teachers and homeschool families

A free two-page Aldabra giant tortoise fact sheet with fast facts, words to know, discussion questions and a drawing activity. Teachers may copy and share it freely as long as they credit Plumpton Park Zoo.

Printable Fact Sheet (PDF)

Field guide

Where do Aldabra giant tortoises live?

The species is native to Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles, a remote group of coral islands in the Indian Ocean. Four large coral islands enclose a shallow lagoon, and the whole group is ringed by a coral reef. The atoll contains open grasslands, scrub, mangroves, coastal areas and shallow freshwater pools.

Aldabra can be hot and dry. Tortoises are most active during cooler morning hours, then rest beneath shrubs, in limestone caves, in mud wallows or in shallow water to avoid midday heat. Wallowing in mud also helps protect them against mosquitoes.

Aldabra was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 and is managed today by the Seychelles Islands Foundation.

Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Walton et al., Biodiversity and Conservation (2019); The Orianne Society; Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

An Aldabra giant tortoise at Plumpton Park Zoo

An Aldabra giant tortoise stretching out its long neck at Plumpton Park Zoo.

At a glance

Aldabra giant tortoise fast facts

Scientific name Aldabrachelys gigantea

Animal group Reptile — tortoise

Native region Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles

Habitat Grassland, scrub, mangrove and coast

Diet Grasses, leaves, woody stems, fallen fruit

Shell length Males up to 4 ft; females smaller

Weight Males about 550 lb; females smaller

Lifespan More than 100 years

Conservation status Vulnerable (IUCN)

Sources: The Orianne Society; UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Seychelles Islands Foundation, via AFP/Phys.org (2013).

152,000

giant tortoises live on Aldabra, the largest population in the world.

Island elephants

The tortoises that shape an island

By grazing, browsing, trampling plants and moving seeds, thousands of tortoises shape the vegetation around them. Ecologists call this ecosystem engineering because the animals physically change habitat in ways that affect many other species.

Along the coast, steady grazing keeps patches of grass cropped short, a habitat known as tortoise turf. Seeds pass slowly through a tortoise’s gut and are carried far from the parent plant, which helps the island’s plants spread.

Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Smithsonian Magazine.

Behavior

Behavior and social life

Aldabra tortoises may travel alone or gather in groups traditionally called a “creep,” especially where food, shade or water is concentrated. Although movement is usually deliberate, they can walk with surprising determination when motivated by food or changing conditions.

These tortoises use smell and vision to explore and can learn routines and recognize familiar cues. Long lives provide many years for experience to shape behavior.

Giant body size: stores substantial energy and water and offers protection from most predators.
Long neck: reaches grass, shrubs and low tree branches.
Column-like legs: support a body weighing hundreds of pounds.
Slow metabolism: helps the tortoise survive when food and fresh water are limited.
Heavy domed shell: protects the body and is fused to the ribs and spine.

Aldabra giant tortoise grazing on grass at Plumpton Park Zoo

On the menu

What Aldabra giant tortoises eat

Aldabra giant tortoises are primarily herbivores. They graze on grasses and herbs, and in the dry season fallen leaves from shrubs and trees become a favorite food. Young tortoises pick small, fleshy herbs from rock crevices.

They are flexible, opportunistic feeders and will occasionally take small invertebrates or carrion.

Sources: The Orianne Society; Walton et al., Biodiversity and Conservation (2019); Nature Seychelles.

Close-up of an Aldabra giant tortoise's head and long neck at Plumpton Park Zoo — One of our Aldabra giant tortoises up close.

Life cycle

Breeding and life cycle

9–25eggs in a clutch

~110 daysto hatch in warm temperatures

~25 yrsbefore a tortoise begins to breed

Females dig nests in suitable soil and deposit their eggs before carefully covering them. Incubation depends on nest temperature and moisture, and hatchlings receive no parental care after emerging. Hatchlings are only about 3 inches long.

Young tortoises face far greater risks than the enormous adults. Those that survive grow slowly for decades and may outlive several generations of human caretakers. Their extraordinary longevity makes long-term habitat protection essential.

Sources: The Orianne Society; Nature Seychelles.

Spot the difference

Aldabra, Galápagos or sulcata?

Aldabra giant tortoise

From the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. A narrow face and a high, domed shell.

Galápagos giant tortoise

A different species from Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands, on the other side of the world. The two giants evolved separately. Learn about the Galápagos giant tortoise.

Sulcata tortoise

From Africa’s Sahel. The largest mainland tortoise, but far smaller than an Aldabra. Meet ours at the zoo.

Red-footed tortoise

A much smaller South American tortoise with red or orange scales on its legs.

Conservation

Why they matter

VULNERABLE

Aldabra giant tortoise walking across the grass in its yard at Plumpton Park Zoo — On the move in the tortoise yard.

The Aldabra giant tortoise is classified as Vulnerable. Aldabra supports the world’s largest remaining wild population of giant tortoises and is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Past hunting eliminated giant tortoises from many islands. Today, habitat protection, strict biosecurity and preventing the introduction of invasive species remain critical. Climate change and rising seas present additional long-term risks to a low-lying coral atoll. Aldabra tortoises are also helping to restore forests on islands that lost their own giant tortoises, such as Mauritius and Rodrigues.

Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Smithsonian Magazine; The Orianne Society.

Aldabra giant tortoise walking toward the camera at Plumpton Park Zoo — Heading our way.

Support

Help care for our giant tortoises & the animals of Plumpton Park

As a nonprofit zoo, Plumpton Park Zoo relies on admissions, memberships and the generosity of people who believe in what we do. Donations help support animal care, veterinary services, nutritious diets, enrichment, habitat improvements and the continued development of the zoo.

Support Our Animals

Plumpton Park Zoological Gardens, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations support the zoo’s charitable mission and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Questions

Questions visitors ask about Aldabra giant tortoises

Where is Aldabra?

Aldabra is a remote coral atoll belonging to the Seychelles in the western Indian Ocean.

How long can an Aldabra giant tortoise live?

Well-documented individuals have exceeded 150 years. Claims above 200 years exist, but exact ages are often difficult to verify because tortoises outlive their early records.

What is a group of tortoises called?

A group is sometimes called a creep, although Aldabra tortoises also spend considerable time alone.

Are Aldabra and Galápagos tortoises the same species?

No. They evolved on different island groups. Aldabra tortoises are native to the Seychelles, while Galápagos giant tortoises are native to Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands.

How many Aldabra tortoises live at Plumpton Park Zoo?

Four: Ally, Groot, Homer and Marge.

Where can I see a giant tortoise in Maryland?

At Plumpton Park Zoo in Rising Sun, Cecil County, Maryland. See Hours and Tickets for times and admission.

Meet Ally, Groot, Homer and Marge at Plumpton Park Zoo

Our Aldabra giant tortoises are part of a visit to Plumpton Park Zoo in Rising Sun, Maryland.

The zoo is in Cecil County, an easy drive from Delaware and southern Pennsylvania. While you are here, meet our sulcata tortoises and red-footed tortoises, explore more reptiles and amphibians, and keep learning in the Animal Learning Center.

Hours & Tickets Get Tickets Teacher Fact Sheet (PDF)