Aldabrachelys abrupta
Extinct species of tortoise
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aldabrachelys abrupta, the abrupt giant tortoise, is an extinct species of giant tortoise that was endemic to Madagascar.
| Aldabrachelys abrupta Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Carapace | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Cryptodira |
| Family: | Testudinidae |
| Genus: | Aldabrachelys |
| Species: | †A. abrupta |
| Binomial name | |
| †Aldabrachelys abrupta Grandidier, 1868[1] | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Ecology
It was a large species, roughly 115 cm in length. It was originally one of the seven endemic tortoise species of Madagascar (two large Aldabrachelys; three medium Astrochelys; two small Pyxis).[3] It was sympatric with the other giant tortoise species of Madagascar, Grandidier's giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys grandidieri (also extinct)), and both species occupied both the coasts and the cooler highlands of Madagascar, where they fulfilled the role of large grazers. A. abrupta was a browser of bushes and low-hanging branches; A. grandidieri was a grazer of grassy meadows and wetlands.
Unlike its sister species, which had a low, flattened shell, A. abrupta had a high, domed shell.
Extinction
Material of this species has been dated to 750–2850 years before present (c. 830 BC - c. 1270 AD), and it seems to have been widely distributed throughout Madagascar. It was estimated to have gone extinct between c. 1200 - 1300 AD. However, remains with disputed dating have suggested that some survived up until at least 1500, and it seems to have survived a considerable time in coexistence with humans, before it finally died out.[4]
