Aldabrachelys abrupta (Grandidier, 1888)
 
Era: Cenozoic
 
System: Quaternary
 
Series: Pleistocene
 
Origin: Amdroy area (Madagascar)
 
Measurements: 55 mm / 2,16"
 
Weight: 18 g / 0,040lb
 
Description: The piece includes a display stand. Hard-to-find material, 100% natural, free of repairs. The egg is attributed to Aldabrachelys abrupta, one of the giant land tortoises that inhabited the island of Madagascar until relatively recent times.
 
This species survived into the Holocene and likely went extinct around 700–1,000 years ago, coinciding with profound changes in Madagascar's ecosystems and the increasing presence of humans.
 
Remains from this period are scientifically classified as subfossils—a term used for ancient remains that, despite having been buried for centuries or millennia, have not necessarily undergone complete mineralization.
 
This distinction is purely technical and does not diminish the piece's historical or scientific value. On the contrary, these eggs offer an exceptionally direct link to a species that no longer exists.
 
Aldabrachelys abrupta could reach a length of approximately 1.15 meters and was part of a unique Malagasy megafauna community that has since vanished. Its remains allow us to reconstruct a Madagascar vastly different from the one we know today—a land once inhabited by a fauna of giants that disappeared only a few centuries ago.
 
Given its nature, age, and provenance, this egg is a piece of great interest to collectors and those seeking natural objects that tell a story: the tangible legacy of an extinct species that lived in Madagascar until just a few centuries ago.
 

 
This piece will travel insured in a safety package to arrive in perfect condition.