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. African Spurred Tortoise have been known to live for over 75 years!

Facts

Diet: Herbivore; grasses, weeds and cacti.

Weight: 40-90 kg depending on sex and age

Length: 80 cm on average

Habitat: Central Africa including Chad, Sudan, Niger and Mali; Semiarid grasslands, savannas, and shrublands.

Lifespan: 50-90 years

Adapted to Survive

  • African Spurred Tortoise can go for several weeks without drinking water
  • Their legs are adapted to help them dig burrows into the ground, often a couple of meters deep, to protect them from the sun.

Threats

  • Habitat modification and desertification
  • Pet and wildlife trade
  • Climate change resulting in severe weather pattern changes

IUCN Conservation Status

Endangered

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