African+Sulcata+Tortoise

=African Sulcata Tortoise (//Geochelone sulcata)//=

aka African Spurred Tortoise or African Spur-thighed Tortoise
A vulnerable species that needs updating

The habitat of the african sulcatta tortoise is sub-Saharan Africa. This species prefers dry, hot habitats and needs a lot of space roam.



This species eats fruits, grasses and dead animals. Animals that eat dead animals are called scavengers.

This species can live for up to 100 years. Females lay 20-30 eggs at age 25-30. The eggs must incubate for 8 months before the babies hatch. This is a slow reproductive rate.

African Sulcatas are active in the daytime (diurnal), and they live alone. Males fight for food and mates. If a male flips another over, the tortoise may die because it cannot right itself and will die of dehydration.

The African Sulcata Tortoise has many adaptations to help them survive in the hot, dry desert. This species, as well as many other desert species, estivate in burrows to escape intense heat for months at a time. They dig the tunnels with their front legs, and tunnels have been know to be 30 feet long and 6 feet deep. They have sandy color that helps them camouflage and they can go weeks without water. When water is available they can drink up to 15% of their body weight in water.

These tortoises can weigh up to 200 pounds. This is the third largest land tortoise in the world, behind the Galapagos tortoiseand the AldabraTortoise. Tortoises are a type of land turtle that belonds to the Order Reptiles, along with snakes, lizards and tuataras.