Classroom lesson 路 Wildlife馃嚥馃嚭 Mauritius

Giant tortoises of Mauritius

Enormous gentle reptiles that can live longer than any person

A large Aldabra giant tortoise walking slowly across grass in Mauritius

Photo 路 Wikimedia Commons

What is it?

Giant tortoises are among the longest-living animals on Earth. Mauritius originally had its own giant tortoise species, and today Aldabra giant tortoises - brought from the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles - live in protected areas in Mauritius. They are enormous, gentle creatures that can weigh as much as a motorbike.

Tell me more

A fully grown Aldabra giant tortoise can weigh up to 250 kilograms and measure over a metre long. They move slowly and eat plants - grass, leaves, fruit and cactus. Despite their huge size, they are completely harmless and very curious around people.

Giant tortoises are famous for living an extremely long time. The oldest known tortoise in recent history, called Jonathan, was believed to be over 190 years old. That means a tortoise alive today might have hatched before your great-great-great-great-grandparents were born.

Giant tortoises are important for ecosystems because they eat fruit and then wander over large areas, spreading seeds in their droppings. When tortoises disappeared from Mauritius in the past, some trees began to struggle because the seeds were not being spread any more. Bringing tortoises back has helped restore that balance.

In the classroom

Walk your class through this in 15 minutes.

Talk together

Discussion prompts

  1. 01A tortoise might live for 190 years. What events in history might a tortoise born today still be alive to 'see'?
  2. 02Tortoises help spread seeds. If they disappear, trees lose a helper. Can you think of other animals that help plants grow?
  3. 03How does the tortoise's slow pace suit its way of life? What would happen if it moved faster?
Try this

Classroom activity

Draw a giant tortoise to scale - over one metre long. Mark 250 kg on a weighing scale diagram and compare it to your own weight. Then make a 'tortoise timeline': if a tortoise hatched in 1835, list five things that have happened in the world since then.