Scientific Name: Geochelone gigantea

Found In: Madagascar, Seychelles, and United Republic of Tanzania

Size: Males grow up to an average of 47 inches and weigh 110 lbs.

Diet: Omnivore: Occasionally live animals, mostly a grazer of a wide variety of plant material.

Threat Level: Vulnerable – The destruction of habitat and the introduction of mammalian predators such as rats and cats, and competitors such as goats, and historical use of food for humans is slowly depleting the population.

Facts: They will spend up to 16 hours a day lying in fresh water ponds or mud wallows. They do not swim well but may float.

Virginia Zoo Aldabra Tortoises: males AJ and Jackson; females Dotty, Bubbles and Lyn St. James

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