36.3 Photo of tortoise. This photo illustrates the following text: Tortoises and turtles both have a hard shell. Tortoises live on land and are mostly herbivores. Turtles live in the water but they lay their eggs on land. They are mostly omnivores and eat plants, insects and fish.
Pointed ; Head; Eye; Giant Tortoise; Coloured Earth Garden; wild life; Mauritius; travel; old head ; shoulder ; evil mouth; teeth; smile; wrinkled ; photograph; close-up; photography; art ; arty ; photographic; book catalogue's; guide; ancient ; rare; protected ; big ; large; Aldabra; thick; domed; carapace; dark; grey; black; bony scales; threatened species; food ; Trade ; restricted; reptile;
Description
Status Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List (1), and listed on Appendix II of CITES (3), on both as Geochelone gigantea although it is also referred to as Dipsochelys dussumieri or D. elephantine (4).Description The Aldabra giant tortoise is indeed a giant, with individuals reaching over one metre in length (2). The thick, domed carapace is dark grey to black in colour and the robust limbs are covered in bony scales, as is the small, pointed head (5).Range Endemic to the islands of Aldabra and the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, populations have also been introduced to Mauritius, Reunion (6), and granitic islands of Seychelles such as Curieuse and Fregate (7).Habitat inhabits a wide variety of vegetation on the islands where it is found, from scrub and mangrove swamp to grassy plains known as 'platins' (2).Biology The breeding season occurs from February to May (5), and females lay small clutches of 9 to 25 eggs, of which less than half are fertile in the wild (2). Hatchlings emerge anything from 3.5 to 7 months later. Aldabra tortoises have a predominately vegetation-based diet although they will supplement this intake with carrion (2) (7).Threats Giant tortoises throughout the islands of the Indian Ocean represented an important food source for sailors visiting these shores in the 17th to 19th Centuries and live individuals were often captured and stored for meat in the ship's hold (2) (7). In addition, the destruction of habitat and the introduction of mammalian predator
Pointed ; Head; Eye; Giant Tortoise; Coloured Earth Garden; wild life; Mauritius; travel; old head ; shoulder ; evil mouth; teeth; smile; wrinkled ; photograph; close-up; photography; art ; arty ; photographic; book catalogue's; guide; ancient ; rare; protected ; big ; large; Aldabra; thick; domed; carapace; dark; grey; black; bony scales; threatened species; food ; Trade ; restricted; reptile;
Description
Status Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List (1), and listed on Appendix II of CITES (3), on both as Geochelone gigantea although it is also referred to as Dipsochelys dussumieri or D. elephantine (4).Description The Aldabra giant tortoise is indeed a giant, with individuals reaching over one metre in length (2). The thick, domed carapace is dark grey to black in colour and the robust limbs are covered in bony scales, as is the small, pointed head (5).Range Endemic to the islands of Aldabra and the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, populations have also been introduced to Mauritius, Reunion (6), and granitic islands of Seychelles such as Curieuse and Fregate (7).Habitat inhabits a wide variety of vegetation on the islands where it is found, from scrub and mangrove swamp to grassy plains known as 'platins' (2).Biology The breeding season occurs from February to May (5), and females lay small clutches of 9 to 25 eggs, of which less than half are fertile in the wild (2). Hatchlings emerge anything from 3.5 to 7 months later. Aldabra tortoises have a predominately vegetation-based diet although they will supplement this intake with carrion (2) (7).Threats Giant tortoises throughout the islands of the Indian Ocean represented an important food source for sailors visiting these shores in the 17th to 19th Centuries and live individuals were often captured and stored for meat in the ship's hold (2) (7). In addition, the destruction of habitat and the introduction of mammalian predator
Giant Tortoise Coloured Earth Garden wild life Mauritius travel old head shoulder eve mouth teeth smile wrinkled photograph close-up photography art arty photographic book catalogue guide ancient rare protected big large Aldabra thick domed carapace dark grey to black bony scales pointed head threatened species food Trade restricted reptile
Description
Status Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List (1), and listed on Appendix II of CITES (3), on both as Geochelone gigantea although it is also referred to as Dipsochelys dussumieri or D. elephantine (4).Description The Aldabra giant tortoise is indeed a giant, with individuals reaching over one metre in length (2). The thick, domed carapace is dark grey to black in colour and the robust limbs are covered in bony scales, as is the small, pointed head (5).Range Endemic to the islands of Aldabra and the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, populations have also been introduced to Mauritius, Reunion (6), and granitic islands of Seychelles such as Curieuse and Fregate (7).Habitat inhabits a wide variety of vegetation on the islands where it is found, from scrub and mangrove swamp to grassy plains known as 'platins' (2).Biology The breeding season occurs from February to May (5), and females lay small clutches of 9 to 25 eggs, of which less than half are fertile in the wild (2). Hatchlings emerge anything from 3.5 to 7 months later. Aldabra tortoises have a predominately vegetation-based diet although they will supplement this intake with carrion (2) (7).Threats Giant tortoises throughout the islands of the Indian Ocean represented an important food source for sailors visiting these shores in the 17th to 19th Centuries and live individuals were often captured and stored for meat in the ship's hold (2) (7). In addition, the destruction of habitat and the introduction of mammalian predator
Two giant tortoises (geochelone elephatopus) fight and jockey for position on the feeding pad at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz island in the Galapagos islands of Ecuador.
Giant Tortoise, Geochelone elephantopus, Galapagos islands, Charles Darwin, island species, evolution, scales, shell, scutes, large front legs, small head, Santa Cruz Island
Description
Wild Giant Tortoise on the island of Santa Cruz, Galapagos Island.
A baby giant tortoise (Geocheloone elephatophus) looks up from the floor of an enclosure in the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz island in the Galapagos islands of Ecuador.
A giant tortoise (geochelone elephatopus) prepares for a charge towards food at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos islands of Ecuador.