Giant Tortoise
Megalochelys atlas
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Chordata
Reptilia
Testudines
Cryptodira
Testudinidae
Megalochelys atlas
The Giant Tortoise of the Pleistocene — Megalochelys atlas was the largest tortoise to ever walk the Earth, a true reptilian giant that grazed the grasslands and open woodlands of South Asia. Its enormous size made it nearly invulnerable to predators, but also a prime target for early humans.
Description
Giant Tortoise (Megalochelys atlas) — This colossal land tortoise ranged across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia during the Pleistocene. It dwarfed modern tortoises, with a carapace length of up to 2.1–2.5 meters and a weight exceeding 1,000 kg, making it larger than the modern Galápagos and Aldabra giant tortoises combined. With a broad, domed shell and thick column-like legs, it was built like a slow-moving fortress. Its diet consisted mainly of grasses, fruits, and low-lying vegetation.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
1000
0.5
0.75
2.1
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Herbivores – Browsers
Hunt History
Megalochelys atlas was likely exploited by early hominins for its abundant meat and easily harvested eggs. Its slow speed and massive but accessible body made it a highly attractive food source. Repeated human predation, combined with habitat changes in Asia’s grasslands, may have contributed significantly to its decline and extinction.
Earliest Archaeological Evidence of Human Predation:
Siwalik Hills, India (ca. 2 million years ago) — Fossils of M. atlas found in association with early Homo erectus sites, suggesting possible butchery.
Java, Indonesia (ca. 1 million years ago) — Large tortoise remains from sites with stone tools, implying human exploitation.
Pleistocene deposits, Pakistan (~700,000 years ago) — Fragmented carapaces with marks consistent with breaking for meat access.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Globally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
10000
BP
Late Pleistocene
Java
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
High
Fat %
12
Est. Renderable Fat
120
kg
Targeted Organs
Mesenteric fat, subcutaneous reserves
Adipose Depots
Mesenteric and subcutaneous reserves
Preferred Cuts
Mesenteric depot
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
4