Sulcata Tortoise at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park
Centrochelys Sulcata
The African spurred tortoise, also called the Sulcata Tortoise, inhabits the southern edge of the Sahara Desert.
It’s the the third-largest species of tortoise in the world beaten only by the giant tortoises of Aldabra and Galapogas.
Not only do these tortoises grow very large, up to two and a half feet long and 80-100 pounds (50 kilos) or more, they also grow very rapidly.
The sex of baby tortoises is determined by the temperature which they are incubated.
They have adapted many ways to thrive in the extreme heat including digging burrows in the ground to shelter in during the hottest part of the day. Typically burrows are about 30 inches deep but some individuals dig tunnel systems reaching 10 feet or more underground.
Fact check
| Life span | 70+ years |
| Range | Native to the Sahara Desert and the Sahel |
| Diet | Grasses, sedges, flowers, succulents and fruits |
