African Spurred Tortoise
(Geochelone sulcata)
For more detailed care, please visit http://web.archive.org/web/20050308055327/http://sulcata-station.org/
This large tortoise comes from North-Central Africa south of the Sahara Desert. It is the world's third largest tortoise. Males can attain a length of up to 30" and a weight of up to 150 pounds. Females are usually smaller, attaining a length of 24" and a weight of up to 75 pounds. Both males and females have the spurs on the backs of their legs and on each side of their tail. The males have a concave plastron, while the female's remains flat.
Their natural habitat is hot and dry. Temperatures range from 60F to over 100F with very little rainfall. If they are allowed to get damp and cold, they can develop respiratory problems that will require a veterinarian's attention. Sulcatas do not hibernate and must be kept warm and dry throughout the year. Because of their large adult size, it is not recommended to even attempt to keep them indoors. They should be kept only in warm climates and provided with an outdoor shed with a heating element attached high enough so the animal cannot reach it with any part of its body. It should have a thermostat attached to keep their house at an even 70 degrees. Once they warm up, they may then venture outside to graze. They will return to their house by themselves when they get too cold. Usually, if provided with a "house" as a substitute for a burrow, this will keep the tortoise from digging. Of course, there will always be the stubborn individual who will dig anyway, but in most cases, they accept their house as their burrow.
Adult male sulcatas can be very aggressive and ram into objects, other tortoises, and people. They can quickly kill another tortoise by crushing their shell in. They have also been known to knock down fences.
Sulcatas will feed on a variety of grasses, dark green leafy vegetables, spineless opuntia cacti, clover, rose petals and leaves, hibiscus flowers and leaves, and squash. They should NOT be offered fruit. They love it and will devour it with gusto, but it will cause more harm than good. Here, we try to grow as many natural plants for them to eat as possible, as it cuts down on our grocery bill. We have many fruit trees, and they will eat the leaves that fall to the ground. They also enjoy eating the leaves of grapevines.
Sulcatas enjoy soaking in water, but should not be allowed to do so very often, as they come from dry desert areas. Provide shallow dishes for drinking, such as the kind used under potted plants, and allow them to soak just to the top of their plastron every two weeks or so during very warm weather.
Sulcatas soon learn to recognize their owners and will follow them about the yard waiting to be given a treat, such as that rose they just couldn't reach!
