# African Spurred Tortoise (*Centrochelys sulcata*) The African Spurred Tortoise is a big tortoise with a strong shell. They are gentle giants that love to munch on grass! - **Category:** [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/reptile) - **Rarity:** Rare - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Savannas and grasslands - **Also known as:** African Tortoise, Sulcata Tortoise ![African Spurred Tortoise](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426801/objects/5726.jpg) ## Appearance The African Spurred Tortoise has a large, flattened, sandy-brown to yellowish carapace with prominent growth rings. Its thick, column-like legs are covered in scales, and it possesses two distinctive, bony spurs on each thigh. These spurs and its massive size make it visually unique. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Testudines - **Order:** Testudines - **Family:** Testudinidae - **Genus:** Centrochelys ## Interesting facts - African Spurred Tortoises can go for weeks without any food or water! - It is the third-largest tortoise species in the entire world! - Their amazing shell is actually part of their skeleton, like your ribs! - They get their name from horn-like spurs on their back legs! ## Special abilities - **Desert Burrower:** African Spurred Tortoise can dig deep burrows that helps them escape extreme desert heat and cold. - **Water Wisdom:** African Spurred Tortoise has unique kidneys that helps them retain water, allowing survival in dry environments. - **Shell Shield:** African Spurred Tortoise has an incredibly thick, bony shell that helps them protect against most predators. - **Thigh Spurs:** African Spurred Tortoise has bony spurs on its thighs that helps them assert dominance or defend themselves. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 60-90 cm - **Weight:** 45-105 kg - **Lifespan:** 50-70 years - **Speed:** 0.8 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 15-30 - **Incubation:** 90-120 days ## Diet & Feeding This tortoise munches mostly on plants, especially tough grasses, to get all its energy! - **Primary Foods:** Grasses, Thistles, Succulents, Weeds - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Desert Monitor (*Varanus griseus*) — Predates on eggs and young tortoises. - **Eats:** Tawny Eagle (*Aquila rapax*) — Hunts small, young tortoises from the sky. - **Eaten by:** Indian Sandbur (*Cenchrus biflorus*) — A common, fibrous grass that is a primary food. - **Depends on:** Pale Fox (*Vulpes pallida*) — May use abandoned tortoise burrows for shelter. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Burrowing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/burrowing): Burrowing animals dig tunnels and chambers in the ground, using these subterranean structures for shelter, hunting, or breeding. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Savanna](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/savanna): This habitat trait denotes species native to savannas, which are grasslands with scattered trees, typically found in tropical or subtropical regions with distinct wet and dry seasons. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Armored](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/armored): Armored describes animals protected by a hard, external covering or shell for defense. ## Collections - [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles) - [Reptiles & Amphibians](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles-and-amphibians) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Look but don’t touch. Keep a safe distance and wash hands after exploring. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify African Spurred Tortoise? Compare shell shape, shell markings, head stripes and the shape of the feet. Wear, age and algae can hide shell patterns. Turtle Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is African Spurred Tortoise? 60-90 cm ### How much does African Spurred Tortoise weigh? 45-105 kg ### How long does African Spurred Tortoise live? 50-70 years ### How fast can African Spurred Tortoise move? 0.8 km/h ### What does African Spurred Tortoise eat? This tortoise munches mostly on plants, especially tough grasses, to get all its energy! ### Where is African Spurred Tortoise usually found? Savannas and grasslands ### How does African Spurred Tortoise hunt? Grazing ## Where to spot - [Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/birmingham-wildlife-conservation-park) — England, GB · Zoo - [Mill Mountain Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mill-mountain-zoo) — Virginia, US · Zoo - [Stone Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/stone-zoo) — Massachusetts, US · Zoo - [Frank Buck Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/frank-buck-zoo) — Texas, US · Zoo - [Virginia Zoological Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/virginia-zoological-park) — Virginia, US · Zoo - [Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alabama-gulf-coast-zoo) — Alabama, US · Zoo [View all places to see African Spurred Tortoise](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/african-spurred-tortoise) ## More Reptiles - [Pond Slider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pond-slider) (*Trachemys scripta*) - [Western Fence Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-fence-lizard) (*Sceloporus occidentalis*) - [Common Five-lined Skink](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-five-lined-skink) (*Plestiodon fasciatus*) - [Desert Spiny Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/desert-spiny-lizard) (*Sceloporus magister*) --- Source: [African Spurred Tortoise: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/african-spurred-tortoise)