Animal Planet :: Australia Zoo -- Coconut

Coconut the Aldabra tortoise.

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Coconut

The Australia Zoo is home to four Aldabra tortoises: Igloo, Jarvas, Goliath and Coconut. Coconut, as the sole female, is very special and has an enclosure all to herself.

Coconut, like the three male Aldabra tortoises, loves to bask in the beautiful Queensland sunshine. She is very friendly, often following zoo staff around her enclosure wanting a pat. She also loves a good hose-down.

Coconut and the three males are between 27 and 35 years of age, which is relatively young for their species. Scientists believe Aldabra tortoises can live well past 100 years.

The Aldabra is the world's largest tortoise. Its carapace, or shell, can reach 4 feet in length and the entire animal can weigh up to 550 pounds.

The total wild population is restricted to the Aldabra Atoll, a small group of coral islands in Seychelles. Seychelles is an archipelago, or large group of islands, in the western part of the Indian Ocean.

Aldabra tortoises are remnants of a once widespread tortoise population that lived on islands throughout the Indian Ocean. The giant, sluggish creatures made easy targets for hungry sailors, and their eggs and hatchlings were devoured in droves once pigs, cats and other exotic species were introduced to the islands.

In the late 19th century, Charles Darwin and other conservationists established a captive breeding population of Aldabra tortoises on the island of Mauritius. They also took several measures to protect the tortoises' native habitat on the Aldabra Atoll.

Thus the Aldabra tortoise, the last of 18 tortoise species in the Indian Ocean, became one of the first species in history to be offered special protection to ensure its survival.

Today, large herds of Aldabra tortoises graze together in open meadows on the Aldabra Atoll, frequenting scrubland, mangrove swamps and coastal dunes as well. They play an important ecological role on the islands; by knocking down trees and shrubs to get to the nutritious leaves, they clear paths for other animals.

At the zoo, they love to eat beans, zucchini, squash, parsley, eggplant, endives, bok choy and, of course, hibiscus flowers.

	Name: Aldabra Land Tortoise (Geochelone gigantea) Primary Classification: Chelonia (Tortoises and Turtles) Location: The Aldabra Atoll, a part of the Seychelles Islands, which are located in the Indian Ocean. Habitat: Grassland, scrub, mangrove swamps and coastal dunes. Diet: Mainly vegetation, such as grasses, leaves, sedges and herbs, and small invertebrates. Will occasionally eat crab and carrion. Size: Up to 4 ft in length and 550 lbs in weight. Description: Dark-gray to black in color. Small, pointed head covered in scales. Long neck. Highly domed carapace or shell. Thick, bony scales on forelegs. Conservation Status: Vulnerable Major Threat: No immediate threat, but population is restricted to a small area and therefore vulnerable. What Can I Do?: Visit the Tortoise Trust for information on how you can help.