Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa Günther, 1877
Seychelles giant tortoise
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Synonym/s: Dipsochelys hololissa Günther, 1877; Testudo hololissa, Günther, 1875; Testudo elephantina Dumeril & Bibron, 1835; Testudo hololissa Günther, 1877; Testudo gigantea Schweigger, 1812; Testudo daudinii Dumeril & Bibron, 1835; Dipsochelys elephantina Dumeril & Bibron, 1835; Dipsochelys elephantina Bour, 1994; Dipsochelys hololissa Lucker, 2000; Geochelone hololissa Fritz & Havas, 2006; Aldabrachelys hololissa Günther, 1877
Conservation Status
Extinct in the Wild?
Distribution & Habitat
Seychelles
Biology & Ecology
Hypodigm
Neotype: UMZ R3796 [designated by Gerlach & Canning, 1998a:12]
Other specimens:
BMNH 1888.3.20.1 (Iverson, 2022:49)
Media
References
Original scientific description:
Günther, A. C. L. G. (1877). The gigantic land tortoises (living and extinct) in the collection of the British Museum. London: Taylor & Francis. 96 pp.
Other references:
Austin, J. J., Arnold, E. N. and Bour, Roger. (2003). Was there a second adaptive radiation of giant tortoises in the Indian Ocean? Using mitochondrial DNA to investigate speciation and biogeography of Aldabrachelys (Reptilia, Testudinidae). Molecular Ecology 12: 1415-1424.
Boulenger, G. A. (1889). Catalogue of the Chelonians, Rhynchocephalians, and Crocodiles in the British Museum (Natural History). Trustees of the Museum, London. 311 pp.
Bour, Roger. (1985 "1984"). Les tortues terrestres géantes des îles de l’océan Indien occidental: données géographiques, taxinomiques et phylogénétiques, pp. 17-76. In: F. de Broin and E. Jiménez-Fuentes (Eds.) Comunicaciones del I Simposium Internacional sobre Quelonios Fósiles, París, Octubre, 1983. Studia Geologica Salmanticensia, Volumen Especial 1 (Studia Palaeocheloniologica I) [1984].
Gerlach, Justin. (2003). Captive breeding of [i]Dipsochelys[/i] giant tortoises. Phelsuma 11: 8-12.
Gerlach, Justin. (2007). Giant tortoises of the Indian Ocean. Testudo 6(4): [pagination?].
Gerlach, Justin. (2011a). Aldabrachelys hololissa (Gunther, 1877) - Seychelles Giant Tortoise. In: Rhodin, A. G. J. et al. Chelonian Research Monographs 5: 061.1-061.5.
Gerlach, Justin. (2011b). Development of Distinct Morphotypes in Captive Seychelles–Aldabra Giant Tortoises. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 10(1): 102-112. [Abstract]
Gerlach, Justin. (2012). Skeletal ontogeny of Seychelles giant tortoises (Aldabrachelys/Dipsochelys). Scientific Research and Essays 7(9): 1083-1099.
Gerlach, Justin and Canning, K. L. (1996). On the Seychelles Giant Tortoise; its rediscovery and prospects for conservation. Proceedings of the International Congress of Chelonian Conservation, pp. 131-135.
Gerlach, Justin and Canning, K. L. (1998a). Taxonomy of Indian Ocean tortoises (Dipsochelys). Chelonian Conservation and Biology 3: 3-19.
Gerlach, Justin and Canning, K. L. (1998b). Identification of Seychelles giant tortoises. Linnaeus fund research report. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 3: 133-135.
Iverson, John B. (2022). A review of Chelonian type specimens (order Testudines). Megataxa 7(1): 1-85. https://doi.org/10.11646/megataxa.7.1.1
Palkovacs, Eric P., Gerlach, Justin and Caccone, A. (2002). The evolutionary origin of Indian Ocean giant tortoises. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 24: 216-227.
Palkovacs, Eric P. et al. (2003). Are the native giant tortoises from the Seychelles really extinct? A genetic perspective based on mtDNA and microsatellite data. Molecular Ecology 12(6): 1403-1413.
Rothschild, Walter. (1915). On the gigantic land tortoises of the Seychelles and Aldabra-Madagascar group with some notes on certain forms of the Mascarene group. Novitates Zoologicae 22: 418-442.
Uetz, P. et. al., The Reptile Database, http://www.reptile-database.org , accessed December 11, 2010.
http://islandbiodiversity.com/tortoise.htm
http://wzd.cz/zoo/AF/SC/giant_tortoise_farm_silhouette/files/pdf/testudo2005.pdf
https://extinctanimals.proboards.com/thread/13123/seychelles-giant-tortoise