Native to Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles (An island chain off the east coast of Africa), Aldabran Giant Tortoises (Aldabrachelys gigantea) don’t have to deal with predation, and with an abundance of tropical food, warm weather, and environmental protection, they spend their days grazing vegetation in the morning, and snoozing on beaches in the afternoon, taking dips into shallow pools of water to regulate their temperature. These tortoises are one way that local land plants disperse their seeds (Hnatiuk, 1978).

[Photo by Nick Chudeau; Caption by Karli Chudeau]

Hnatiuk, S. H. (1978). Plant dispersal by the Aldabran giant tortoise. Oecologia, 36, 345-350.