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Sulcata Tortoise

They are also known as ‘The African spurred tortoise.’

It lives in hot, arid regions ranging from the desert fringes to dry savannahs, where permanent water supplies are usually lacking and is the largest tortoise of the African mainland.

  • Least Concern
  • Near Threatened
  • Vulnerable
  • Endangered
  • Critically Endangered
  • Extinct in the Wild
  • Extinct

From the moment they hatch, these animals are very aggressive towards one another, and especially so at breeding times. Males in particular can commonly be seen ramming into each other and attempting to flip one another over. They are the third largest species of tortoise in the world behind the Galapagos and the Aldabra Giant Tortoise.

Key Facts

Family:
Testudinidae
Diet:
Plants and annual grasses.
Life Span:
50 - 150 years
Distribution:
Southern edge of the Sahara, from Senegal and Mauritania, east through Mali, Chad, the Sudan and Ethiopia to Eritrea.
Did you know?
Tortoise are very intelligent and can even be trained.

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Christmas at Hertfordshire Zoo
30 Nov 2024 - 24 Dec 2024
Celebration of Speedway
16 Mar 2025

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Celebrate Christmas Eve at Hertfordshire Zoo
Thu 19th December 2024
Farewell to our Eurasian Wolves
Sat 14th December 2024
Christmas at Hertfordshire Zoo
Sat 14th December 2024
Farewell to White Lionesses, Izulu and Zuri
Fri 29th November 2024
Feed a Jaguar at Hertfordshire Zoo!
Thu 28th November 2024

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