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Aldabra tortoise, tortoise family. The scientific name is Geochelonegigantea, and the genus name Geochelone. The diet is mainly based on plants, and sometimes it also eats dead animal carcasses. It is found in the western Indian Ocean - Aldabra Island. The maximum carapace of the Aldabra tortoise is 105 cm long. The body shape is second only to that of the elephant tortoise, and the nostrils are longitudinally elongated. It is widely distributed in the land area of Aldabra Island. Each litter can lay 12-14 eggs.

Chinese scientific name: Aldabra tortoise

Latin scientific name: Geochelonegigantea

Two name method: Geochelonegigantea

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordates

Class: Reptile

Order: Turtle and turtle order

Suborder: Suborder Curvature Turtle

Family: Tortoiseidae

Genus: Elephant tortoise

Species: Aldabra tortoise

Distribution: Western Indian Ocean - Aldabra Island

Basic information

Family name: Tortoise family

Chinese name: Aldabra Tortoise

Diet: Plants are the staple food, and sometimes dead animals are also eaten.

Morphological characteristics: The maximum nail length is 105 cm. The body shape is second only to that of the elephant tortoise, and the nostrils are longitudinally elongated.

Habits: Widely distributed in the land area of Aldabra Island. Each litter can lay 12-14 eggs.

Reproduction mode oviparous. Females can lay 9-25 tennis ball-sized eggs, which hatch in about 98-200 days.

The habit of Aberdala is very adaptable to the environment of captivity, the food is similar to that of leopard turtles and sulcata, any plant food is acceptable, and the personality is mild. But there must be enough space planning to raise such a behemoth. They also like to soak in puddles or swamps to cool off when the temperature is high, so a pool is an indispensable amenity.

Diet: Vegetarian diet, with a slightly higher proportion of fruit-based foods

Body shape characteristics: 90-130 cm in dorsal carapace.

Introduction to the turtle species

The Aldabra tortoise is native to the Aldabra archipelago in the Indian Ocean, an archipelago of four small coral atolls north of the island of Madagascar on the east coast of Africa. There were once 18 species of giant tortoises in this area, but they became extinct in large numbers between the 18th and 19th centuries, leaving only the only Aldabra species. It was also the first tortoise to be internationally protected and is currently a CITESII conservation species and the world's largest and longest-lived tortoise. There is currently an artificial migration on the island of Assumption in the archipelago that has become a tourist attraction. Aberdala is very adaptable to the captive environment, the food is similar to that of the leopard turtle and the sulcata, any plant-based food is acceptable, and the personality is mild. But keeping such behemoths must have enough space to plan, and they like to soak in puddles or swamps to cool down when the temperature is high, so a pool is an indispensable facility. The male turtle can grow to more than 130 centimeters and weigh up to 250 kilograms, and can only be moved by crane. The female turtle is about 90 centimeters smaller, and the amount of animal excretion of this size is also surprisingly large. The sexes are kept separately, and the reproductive effect is better. Female tortoises can lay 9-25 eggs the size of a tennis ball, which hatch in about 98-200 days, and can tolerate low temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius. Taiwan has also introduced a small number of hatchlings in recent years, and since the opening of tortoises, legal juveniles and adults have been introduced into the country one after another, and they are considered a very popular turtle species in China.

History and culture

More than 400 years ago, the Spaniards discovered a giant turtle on an isolated island near the equator. Its carapace is 1.5 meters long, weighs about 250 kilograms, has thick and strong legs, and resembles the giant feet of elephants, so it is called "giant tortoise". The Spaniards also named the island "Galapagos", which means "Turtle Island". Giant tortoises like to eat juicy green cacti the most, and can eat more than 10 kilograms per day. Because it usually accumulates a lot of food in its body, it will not starve to death if it does not eat or drink for a long time. It has a long lifespan, three or four hundred years. Although tortoises live on islands, they only drink fresh water. Sometimes, in search of fresh water to quench their thirst, they can crawl thousands of meters in search of water, and store a large amount of water in their bladder when drinking. When the locals are short of water, they often release the water in the tortoise's bladder to drink to quench their thirst. Giant tortoises are afraid of strong sunlight and prefer to live in the shade of trees. When the rainy season arrives, tortoises climb down the hill to take shelter. When the dry season came, they climbed into the foggy mountains. It can crawl up to 6 kilometers a day, even if two people stand on the back of a turtle. Interestingly, the locals use the large, hard turtle shell as a cradle for their babies.

Turtle species characteristics

The maximum carapace of an adult can grow to about 130 cm, making it the largest two species of tortoises in the world, similar in size to the Galapagos tortoise. The Aldabra Islands were declared a nature reserve in 1976. There are no inhabitants on the island, and there are no artificial facilities that damage the environment, except for a natural research center on the island of Aldabraben. Due to its inocence, the Aldabra tortoise has become the largest tortoise population in the world. The current population size of the Aldabra tortoise is more than five times that of the Galapagos tortoise.

The Aldabra tortoises currently on the market are all artificially bred and legally imported individuals. The hue of the whole body color is black, with a tall, round, black and shiny back armor, and the momentum of walking is like the king of tortoises, although the unit price is high, but the popularity is still undiminished. The resting Abertala tortoise artificially bred by Ada is very adaptable to the environment of artificial breeding, and the food can be diversified, all kinds of leafy vegetables or tortoise special feed can be used, and calcium powder and gastrointestinal nutrients can be added when feeding vegetables. When the hearty food is eaten with relish and the sun is shining, let him bask in the sun more often to help his health. The temperature of the breeding should be kept at a constant temperature of 25 degrees as much as possible, and in addition to the warm bulb, a heating pad for cats and dogs can be added under the substrate. Although they can tolerate temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius, it is best to keep warm, and it is better to use UVA and UVB at the same time. In terms of the environment, the larger the environment, the better the environment, because the Alberta tortoise grows faster when it is young and its size is also very large, so it is better to have a large enough environment to raise it. The substrate can be wood chips or tree chips, and even grass is a good choice, so keep it clean at all times and keep the environment clean often. It is best to have a place to rest and hide in the terrarium, and then place a basin for drinking and soaking.

value

The Aldabra tortoise may be a giant tortoise in the reptile pet market and in the impression of turtle lovers, almost everyone knows about it. The Aldabra tortoise is listed as the world's largest tortoise along with the Galapagos tortoise, but the Galapago tortoise is a CITESI conservation animal and cannot be traded commercially, while the Aldabra tortoise is CITESII and can be traded commercially as long as it is legally imported.

In fact, the Aldabra tortoise is very adaptable to the artificial breeding environment, and all the legally imported individuals are artificially bred, which is very easy to raise, and can also adapt to the Asian climate, but this species of dorsal carapace can exceed one meter, and this tortoise is a relatively high-priced species, so whether it is the purchase or the planning of the breeding space, it is necessary to consider carefully before making a decision.

Day-to-day management

overview

The young turtles of the Aldabra tortoise can be raised in plastic basins, aquariums, glass tanks and other containers, and the water depth is slightly higher than the turtle's back. Large-scale breeding can be built into pools, both indoor and outdoor. Chenggui pond is made of cement and masonry, the size is adapted to local conditions, and the water depth is 30~50 cm. The walls of the pool are 50 cm above the water surface and are painted smoothly to prevent turtles from escaping. A cement slab of suitable size is set up in the pool, which is placed at an angle of 30 degrees on the surface of the semi-exposed water, which is not only used as a food table and a back drying table, but also as a shade and a hiding place for turtles. The area of the new turtle pond is generally 100~500 square meters, and the water depth is maintained at about 80~120 cm. The slope of the pond is 30 degrees so that the turtles can come ashore to rest and lay eggs. At a circumference of 100 centimeters around the pool, a 50-centimeter-high low wall is built with bricks, the base of the wall is 30 centimeters into the soil, and the upper mouth is 10 centimeters inward out of the eaves. The surrounding area is used as a place for turtles to bask their backs, rest and lay eggs. The spawning grounds should be covered with 20 cm of sand to facilitate the laying of eggs by the females. Turtle ponds should be built in a secluded and shady place with sufficient water sources, convenient drainage and irrigation, not easy to be polluted, and shelter. Commercial turtles can be stocked in fish ponds and polycultured with four large carp. The structure of the turtle cage is such that all turtles like to stay in the water or eat, and also like to rest or bask in the sun on land. The turtle does not have gills, it breathes with the lungs, it cannot stay in the water for a long time, so after staying in the water for a period of time, it must float up to expose the nostrils to the surface of the water to breathe, so no matter how you design the turtle box, in principle, there must be water and land, it is best to have half of the water and land, and a ladder should be set up between the water and land to provide a passage for the turtle to climb to the land. The slope is about 20 degrees, so that the turtles can go up and down easily.

Key takeaways:

(1) Aldabra tortoises like warmth and are sensitive to cold, and are particularly sensitive to temperature changes. Temperature not only affects the metabolic rate of turtles, but also affects the frequency of foraging and predation, so it is important to pay attention to temperature control in daily feeding. Temperature refers to the ambient temperature of the turtle's life, when the temperature is 19-30 °C, it can be fed normally, and at the time of the seasonal exchange, the feeding food should follow the principle of preferring less to more. If the temperature drops suddenly after feeding food during the day, it should be warmed in time, otherwise, it is easy to cause indigestion of the turtle and cause the turtle to suffer from gastrointestinal diseases.

(2) Aldabra tortoises live on land, and their feces, urine and bait are left on the sand, so it is necessary to do a good job of sanitation and protection. The sand in the breeding area is disinfected with ultraviolet light every month (to remove the turtles) or completely replaced (suitable for places where there are few turtles), and the drinking basin, feces and bait are cleaned in a timely manner every day.

(3) In daily feeding, the management and feeding of turtles require managers to be serious, careful and cautious, check the turtle's activities, eating, and feces every day, and keep a diary. Unhealthy turtles should be separated in time and kept in isolation.

Winter care

Before hibernation, the turtle should be examined to observe the feces, eating, and physical condition, and unhealthy turtles should not be allowed to hibernate. Warm with an electric heater to keep the ambient temperature around 22-25 ° C, feed normally and treat with medication. Place healthy turtles indoors facing south, add sand and soil to the terrarium and also add cotton pads, and keep the ambient temperature at about 10°C to allow them to hibernate naturally. During hibernation, the turtle should be alarmed as little as possible, except for the necessary weekly inspection, so as not to affect the quality of the hibernation due to the turtle's fright. In the later stage of hibernation, due to the unstable ambient temperature, high and low, sometimes the ambient temperature reaches 19-22 °C, and the turtle also eats, but the temperature will drop at night, which is easy to cause gastrointestinal discomfort to the turtle. Therefore, when the temperature difference between day and night does not exceed 4-6 °C, the turtle can be fed.

Related:

Seychelles presented a pair of Aldabra tortoises from Shanghai

On 28 July 2009, the Seychelles Government and the Shanghai Expo Organisers signed the Agreement on the Seychelles Government's Donation of Aldabra Tortoises to the Shanghai World Expo, which means that a "couple" of Aldabra tortoises will meet the audience during the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

The longevity turtle represents the friendship between the two countries

The Aldabra tortoise is a rare animal in the Republic of Seychelles. Ambassador of Seychelles to China and General Representative of the Seychelles Pavilion Philippe. The Aldabra tortoise is a symbol of longevity, with a maximum lifespan of 250 years, Le Gar said. The healthy and strong Aldabra tortoise "couple" not only represents the supreme friendship between Cyprus and China, but also conveys the message that the Seychelles people wish the Chinese people health and longevity.

Philip. Mr. Le Gar revealed to the Zaobao reporter that an 80-kilogram male tortoise and a 50-kilogram female tortoise stood out from the crowd of Aldabra tortoises. They are about 35 years old, the "youngest" of the tortoises, and they have been successfully paired so far, "if all goes well, they will arrive in Shanghai in September this year." ”

To date, the tortoise "couple" has not yet been named. Mr. Philip said with a smile that it is up to the Shanghai World Expo Bureau to decide how to name them, and it is more appropriate for the people of Shanghai to name them.

The tortoise "couple" will come to settle in China

How the tortoise "couple" was successfully delivered to Shanghai, the Seychelles side said that they had made arrangements in accordance with relevant international regulations. The two tortoises will be packed in a special box and flown to Shanghai via Singapore via a Seychelles national airline. The box is a temporary home for the tortoises, made of wood on the top and plastic on the bottom, and contains enough food to keep them fed. The box will be placed in the luggage compartment of the aircraft with the temperature lowered beforehand.

In order to ensure the safe arrival of the tortoise couple in Shanghai, the Seychelles side will send a wildlife expert to escort the two tortoises, and the Chinese side will send experts to arrange the entry according to their body characteristics and living habits. It is expected that the tortoise "couple" will live at the Shanghai Zoo for a while after arriving in Shanghai until the opening of the World Expo, when they will take up residence in the Seychelles Pavilion in the African Pavilion.