Sulcata Tortoise Size report

The Sulcata tortoise (scientific name: Geochelone Sulcata) is a large reptile. They live in hot and arid regions, mainly on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert, from Senegal and Mauritania eastward through Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea to the Red Sea.

The Sulcata tortoise is a tortoise-like reptile that lives on land. It originally belonged to the genus Tortidae and the genus Elephant tortoise and was finally classified into the genus Centrochelys. It is the only surviving species under the genus Centrochelys. Its taxonomic name "Sulcata" derives from the physical appearance of its dorsal shell, which refers to the furrows on the turtle's scales.

The Sulcata tortoise is the third largest tortoise species after the Galapagos tortoise and the Aldabra tortoise. However, it is the largest tortoise on the African continent and is not found on the islands. This article introduces more basics about this species.

Sulcata Tortoise General Descriptions

The Sulcata tortoise is an extremely popular pet and is known for its immense size, tan and brown shell, and large scales. The Sulcata is also known as the African Spurred Tortoise and Spur Thigh Tortoise, because there are two or three spurs located on their thighs. They also have very prominent overlapping and large scales on their front and back legs. The top of their shell is oval in shape and has several well-defined grooves. Their scutes are lighter in the middle and outlined by a much darker brown color.

Once these tortoises reach 15 pounds, it is possible to distinguish males from females:

• The bottom of males' shells is curved inwards vs. females that are flat.
• Males develop anal scutes that are "V" in shape and females develop "U" shaped scutes.
• Males have longer tails than females.

Average Size

The Sulcata tortoise is the third continental tortoise in the world. A baby Sulcata is born at around two inches in size. They are very slow growers and won't reach their adult size until 15 to 20 years old. They are very slow growers and won’t reach their adult size until 15 to 20 years old. The male body length is about 80 cm, the female body length is about 50 cm, the male weighs about 100 kg, and the female weighs about 60 kg.

Habitat

Sulcata tortoises live in hot, arid regions, from savannas and desert fringes to dry savannahs, especially the Sahel, although there is usually no permanent water source. Sulcata tortoises are good at burrowing in the sand and can dig underground tunnels 75-90 cm deep, even 3 meters or more. These caves and tunnels allow them to obtain moisture in arid environments. These dug permanent burrows can be shared by two or more Sulcata tortoises.

Living Habits and Feeding

To escape the heat during the daytime, they mostly start their activities at dusk or early morning. Sulcata tortoises bury themselves in caves in extreme cold or hot weather to survive. The most active period for Sulcata tortoises is during the rainy season (July-October), especially at dawn and dusk when they will be foraging around.

Sulcata tortoises are vegan animals and feed primarily on grasses and shrubs high in fiber but low in protein, including desert succulents, grasses, cacti, lettuce, and especially the leaves of plants. Sulcata tortoises have a very long lifespan like other tortoises, reaching 80-100 years.

Status

Many populations of Sulcata tortoises are rapidly disappearing. Habitat loss is one of the main reasons for the decline; urbanization, desertification, and overgrazing by livestock have driven wild Sulcata tortoises to disappear in some parts of Africa. And in Europe and North America, where young Sulcata tortoises are captured and kept as pets, wild populations may not be able to renew themselves, meaning local populations will become extinct one day.