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African Spurred Tortoise

Geochelone sulcata

CLASS: Reptilia
ORDER: Chelonia
FAMILY: Testudinidae
GENUS: Geochelone
SPECIES: Sulcata

LIFESPAN: Up to 100 years
COLOR/PATTERN: Adults shell is uniform brown to horn. Plastron, head and limbs are uniform yellow. Juveniles have pale yellow shell with brown on scutes. Plastron is yellow-white, and they have lighter areoles on shell plates.
HABITAT: Dry regions including; woodlands, semi desert grass and shrub lands.
RANGE: Central and Northern Africa
LENGTH: Males up to 35 inches, females up to 26 inches.
WEIGHT: 80 to 110 pounds average with some reaching over 200 pounds.
REPRODUCTION: They reach sexually maturity at 25 to 30 years of age. Mating takes place during the rainy season usually in February or March. Females dig a hole and lay between 20 to 30 eggs.
INCUBATION: 212 days
DIET: Grazes on grass and shrubs
ACTIVE: Diurnal
STATUS: Common, not listed as threatened or endangered

NOTES:

1. The African spurred is the largest mainland tortoise.
2. They get their name from the presence of two or three strong spurs on each side of its tail.
3. It can obtain sufficient water from consumed vegetation.
4. It avoids excessive moisture loss by having a highly impermeable skin and also by digging shallow burrows in the ground.
5. African spurred tortoises need lots of space.
6. They do not hibernate.
7. They do not tolerate cold or damp conditions.
8. They are the 3rd largest tortoise species in the world.
9. African spurs grow very rapidly.
10. They are very strong and will walk over and knock over anything in their way.
11. Adult males will hiss when approached too closely and retreat in their shell.
12. African spurs make a variety of sounds including; croaks, grunts, and whistles.

Last Update:Saturday, May 14, 2005 at 13:39:00