African Spurred Tortoise

Geochelone sulcata

Animal Class: Reptiles

Length: 2 1/2 feet

Weight: up to 230-240 lbs.; average Male = 220lbs., average Female = 132 lbs.

Diet: Wild: leaves, fruit, earthworms, snails, and carrion

Habitat: African spurred tortoises live in hot, dry, open areas with sparse shrubbery. They can be found south of the Sahara desert from Senegal to Ethiopia.

Description: African spurred tortoises have large, flat shells. Their legs have large, tuberous scales, and there are large spurs located on the thighs. There are spur-like scales on the tortoise’s legs. The species name “sulcata” comes from the deep furrows on its scales. The tortoise has a triangular-shaped head. African spurred tortoises are the third largest species of tortoise and are the largest continental species of tortoises.