African Spurred Tortoise - Five Sisters Zoo

The largest tortoise species on the African Mainland and the third largest in the world (after the Galapagos and Aldabra Giant Tortoises). Individuals have broad oval carapaces (shells) that are brown to yellow in colour. They are called spurred tortoises because of the large, pointed scales on their legs.

Facts

  • Diet: Herbivore
  • Weight: 36 to 50 kg
  • Length: average for adults 80 cm
  • Habitat: Semiarid grasslands, savannas, and shrublands.
  • Lifespan: 54 years
  • They have growth rings on their scutes.

Threats

  • Habitat modification and desertification
  • Pet trade
  • Hunting

IUCN Conservation Status

Edangered