Aldabra giant tortoise — Care Sheet & Morphs

Husbandry requirements

Aldabra giant tortoise — origin: Aldabra Atoll (Seychelles), western Indian Ocean.

Terrarium temperature gradient

Night min18 °C

Cool side24–28 °C

Warm side28–32 °C

Basking spot35–40 °C

A tropical, sun-loving species that needs a genuine hot spot: a warm basking area and warm daytime ambient temperatures. Do not let it stay too cold at night; cold combined with poorly managed humidity causes respiratory disease. Access to direct, unfiltered sunlight outdoors in the warm season is ideal.

Enclosure (adult)

1500 × 1000 × 100 cm

Planted, secure outdoor enclosure + heated indoor shelter (greenhouse- or barn-type)

A large minimum outdoor area per adult, with considerably more strongly recommended (grass to graze on, shaded areas and a wallow). Solid, buried walls: the animal develops considerable strength and pushes obstacles aside. A heated indoor shelter is indispensable outside the warm season in our climates. PROTECTED SPECIES: listed under CITES and classified as Vulnerable (IUCN). Keeping, transport and transfer are subject to legal documentation (CITES/EU) and to declaration under national regulations.

Humidity

50–80 %

Humid microclimates and a wallow (mud) area are essential for well-being and thermoregulation. Higher humidity in juveniles' shelters and hides, to limit shell pyramiding.

Substrate

Soil / potting compostGrass and natural pastureHayCypress mulch or wood chips (indoor shelter)

A loose, slightly damp substrate that helps maintain hydration. Avoid abrasive or dusty substrates, or those that encourage the ingestion of particles. Keep a humid area for the young.

UVB

Optional

Strong UVB is essential for vitamin D synthesis and mineralisation. Ideally direct, unfiltered sunlight outdoors; indoors, a high-output UVB tube covering the active area, replaced periodically, combined with a temperature gradient and a hot spot.

Water source

Always available

A large, shallow water source available at all times for drinking and bathing; the animal wallows and drinks copiously. Regular lukewarm baths for juveniles (hydration, prevention of bladder stones). Clean water renewed frequently, with safe access (no drowning risk).

Origin

Testudinidae

Aldabra Atoll (Seychelles), western Indian Ocean

Feeding & health

Diet

A grazing herbivore, on a high-fibre, low-protein diet — An opportunistic scavenger in the wild (dead crabs, carrion, sometimes small tortoises, seeking calcium) — DO NOT replicate in captivity

Base diet: grasses, hay, wild plants (dandelion, plantain, clover in moderation), leaves; leafy vegetables as a supplement. Very little fruit. Regular calcium supplementation (cuttlebone, calcium blocks). An excess of protein, fruit or rich pellets promotes pyramiding, stones and overgrowth.

Breeding

Oviparous

Clutch 4–25 eggs/young. Several clutches per year are possible. Spherical eggs the size of a ping-pong or golf ball. Long and variable incubation (depending on temperature). The sex of the young can be influenced by the incubation temperature.

Health watch points

Shell pyramiding (humidity too low, excess protein, growth too fast)
Metabolic bone disease and deficiencies (UVB deficit or calcium/phosphorus imbalance)
Bladder stones and retention (chronic dehydration, excess protein)
Respiratory infections (temperatures too low or unsuitable humidity)
Digestive parasites and subcutaneous abscesses

Morphs & genetics

Registry of 2 documented genes for Aldabra giant tortoise.

Scute AnomaliesDom
Albino (Anomaly)Rec

Pairing calculator

Pick each parent's genotype — clutch probabilities update live. Free, no sign-up.

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Aldabra giant tortoise × Aldabra giant tortoise

Probabilities per gene (independent loci).

Expected clutchSelect at least one gene on a parent.

Frequently asked questions

Answers to the most common questions about keeping the aldabra giant tortoise.

How big and heavy does the Aldabra giant tortoise get?▾

It is the world's second-largest tortoise: the adult carapace measures 90 to 120 cm. Dimorphism is pronounced, with males weighing 150 to 250 kg or more and females 80 to 120 kg. Growth is slow and continuous over decades.

How long does it live, and what does that longevity mean for keepers?▾

It commonly lives 80 to 150 years, with exceptional individuals approaching or exceeding 190 to 200 years (such as Jonathan, about 190 years old). The commitment therefore outlasts a human lifetime: succession and the animal's future rehoming must be planned from the moment it is acquired.

How much space is needed to house an adult?▾

An adult needs a planted outdoor enclosure of at least about 150 m², with considerably more strongly recommended, including grass to graze on, shaded areas and a wallow. Walls must be solid and buried, since the animal develops considerable strength and pushes through obstacles like a bulldozer.

Is a heated shelter essential in our climate?▾

Yes. This tropical, sun-loving species needs a heated indoor shelter, such as a greenhouse or barn, outside the warm season in our climate. It requires a genuine basking hot spot of 35-40 °C, a daytime ambient temperature of 24-32 °C, and must not be allowed to drop below 18-20 °C for long periods at night.

Is keeping an Aldabra tortoise regulated?▾

Yes, it is a protected species: listed under CITES Appendix II and classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Keeping, transporting or transferring it requires legal documentation (CITES/EU) and registration under national regulations. You must be fully compliant before acquiring one.

What exactly should it eat?▾

It is a grazing herbivore that needs a high-fibre, low-protein diet: grasses, hay, wild plants (dandelion, plantain, clover in moderation) and leaves, with leafy vegetables as a supplement and very little fruit. Despite being an opportunistic scavenger in the wild, this behaviour should not be replicated in captivity.

How can shell pyramiding be prevented?▾

Pyramiding mainly results from humidity that is too low, excess protein, and growth that is too fast. It is limited by providing humid microclimates and a wallow area, keeping humidity higher (70-90 %) in juveniles' shelters, and avoiding excess protein, fruit and rich pellets.

Does it need UVB and calcium?▾

Yes, strong UVB is essential for vitamin D3 synthesis and mineralisation: ideally unfiltered direct sunlight outdoors, or indoors a 10-12 % high-output T5 tube covering the activity area, replaced every 6 to 12 months. Regular calcium supplementation (cuttlebone, calcium blocks) is also necessary.

Does it need a water source?▾

Yes, a large, shallow water source must be available at all times for drinking and bathing, since the animal wallows and drinks copiously. Juveniles benefit from regular lukewarm baths for hydration and to prevent bladder stones. The water must be clean, changed often, and safely accessible with no risk of drowning.

How does it reproduce?▾

It is oviparous and may lay several clutches a year, of 4 to 25 spherical eggs about the size of a ping-pong or golf ball. Incubation is long and variable (roughly 90 to 250 days depending on temperature), and the sex of the young can be influenced by incubation temperature.

What are the main health problems?▾

The most common are shell pyramiding, metabolic bone disease and deficiencies (UVB deficit or calcium/phosphorus imbalance), bladder stones linked to chronic dehydration and excess protein, respiratory infections from temperatures that are too low, as well as digestive parasites and subcutaneous abscesses.

Is it dangerous despite its docile temperament?▾

It is very curious, strongly food-motivated and generally docile, even enjoying having its neck scratched. However, it has no awareness of its own strength or mass: the risk of being knocked over or crushed is real. Extreme caution is essential around children, other animals and enclosure furnishings.

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