Giant Tortoise

Life Span

One of the main reasons i love giant tortoises is because they live for the longest.

The oldest Giant Tortoise was believed to be Tu'i Malila who died at the age of 188 and just behind that Harriet who died at the age of 167.

But Adwaita was the oldest Giant Tortoise. He was a pet of Robert Clive who was a British Soldier who was credited for securing India in the 18th century.

There was a dispute regarding the age of Adwaita. However, now Adwaita's shell has beencarbon dated, determining his age to be around 255. This makes Adwaita one of the oldest creatures of modern times, beating Harriet by 80 years, and Tu'i Malila by 67 years.

Adwaita means 'one and only'

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Giant Tortoises can reach a huge sizes, they can weigh as much as 300 kg (660 lbs) and can grow to be 1.3 m (4 ft) long.

The biggest population of Giant Tortoise today is in the Seychelles. Where there is approx. 152,000. Which is good news!

Madagascar, the Seychelles, Mauritius, Réunion, the Galápagos Islands, Sulawesi, Timor, Flores and Java are the islands where Giant Tortoises live / lived.