ENDANGERED
SULCATA TORTOISE
CENTROCHELYS SULCATA
The sulcata tortoise, also known as the African spurred tortoise, is one of the largest tortoise species in the world. Sulcata tortoises are herbivores and live in the savannas and grasslands of Africa, primarily feeding on grasses.
Known for their impressive size and distinctive shell, these tortoises can weigh 100kgs, grow up to 80cm long and live for up to 70 or more!
HABITAT
Sulcata tortoises inhabit the arid grasslands, savannas, and thorn shrublands of the Sahel and the southern Sahara Desert in Northern Africa.
DIET
Their diet is primarily comprised of tough desert vegetation, including dried grasses, weeds, thorny shrubs, and cacti.
BEHAVIOUR
Sulcatas are crepuscular, meaning they are most active during dawn and dusk.
The are expert burrowers, spending the hottest parts of the day in their burrows. They use the morning sun to raise their body temperature before foraging.
They use their thick scales and rear spurs for protection and to help with burrowing. When very hot, they have been known to break into a "sweat" and smear saliva on their forearms for cooling.
THREATS
Sulcata tortoises are Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
Although classified as Least Concern, they are threatened by habitat loss due to desertification and agricultural expansion, overgrazing by domestic livestock, and illegal collection for the international pet trade.