Source-This post on Aldabra giant tortoise is based on the article “Madagascar: giant tortoises have returned 600 years after they were wiped out” published in “Down To Earth” on 5th February 2024.
Why in the News?
The Aldabra giant tortoise reintroduction project was started in 2018 to reintroduce Aldabra giant tortoises in Madagascar’s natural habitats. The project is heading towards success as it has led to thousands of these megaherbivores (Aldabra giant tortoises) repopulating the island for the first time in 600 years.
About Aldabra giant tortoise
| Aspect | Details |
| About | 1. It is the world’s second-largest land tortoise species, after the Galapagos giant tortoise. 2. These tortoise have descended from ancestors of Aldabrachelys abrupta, one of two giant tortoises that lived in Madagascar for 15 million years. |
| Lifespan | It has a lifespan of about 100 years. |
| Population Distribution | These are endemic to the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, approximately 930 miles east of Africa and northeast of Madagascar. |
| Habitat | 1. These tortoises live on land and inhabit diverse environments such as scrub forests, mangrove swamps, and coastal dunes and beaches. 2. Grasslands named “platins” harbour the largest populations of tortoises. |
| Conservation Status | IUCN– Vulnerable CITES– Appendix II |
| Physical Characteristics | 1. They are dark gray to black with a strongly domed, thick shell. 2. Aldabra tortoises show sexual dimorphism, meaning males and females have different appearances. 3. Males are much bigger than females and have longer, thicker tails. |
| Significance | 1. They are vital in keeping the ecological balance in a habitat mosaic (a place where different habitats exist side by side). 2. They consume fruits from different trees. These then spread the seeds through their dung, aiding in megafauna-dependent germination. This facilitates the growth of forests, woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands. |
About Aldabra Atoll
1. Aldabra is the world’s second-largest coral atoll, located southeast of Africa.
2. It belongs to the Aldabra Group of islands in the Indian Ocean, which are part of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles.
3. It is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982.
Note– An atoll is a ring-shaped coral formation surrounding a lagoon, usually formed from the rim of a submerged extinct volcano. They’re often found in warm, tropical oceans.
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