Free Teacher Resources
A large African spurred tortoise walking across green grass.
Photo: John5199, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

African Spurred Tortoise

Centrochelys sulcata (also called Geochelone sulcata)

The largest mainland African tortoise, a burrowing plant-eater of the dry lands south of the Sahara, also called the sulcata tortoise.

🐢 Turtles and Tortoises
Checking teacher reviews…
Teacher? Sign in to review this page →Report a mistake

About the African Spurred Tortoise

African spurred tortoises live along the southern edge of the Sahara Desert, from Senegal and Mauritania east through Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan and Ethiopia. They are the largest tortoises on mainland Africa; only Galapagos tortoises are larger. They eat plants, especially juicy ones that give them much of their water, and retreat to burrows when it gets too hot.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Centrochelys sulcata (also called Geochelone sulcata)[1][2]
Weight
36 to 50 kg (79 to 110 pounds).[1]
Lifespan
About 54 years on average in captivity.[1]
Diet
Herbivore. Mostly succulent plants, which also give it water.[1]
Habitat
Hot, dry Sahel desert edges and savanna.[1]
Where it lives
The southern edge of the Sahara, from Senegal and Mauritania east to Sudan and Ethiopia.[1]
Babies
15 to 30 or more eggs, which take about eight months to hatch. Hatchlings are 4 to 6 cm long.[1]
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).[2]

Fun facts

  • It is the largest tortoise on mainland Africa. Only Galapagos tortoises are larger.[1]
  • It has big spurs on its back legs, but scientists don't know what they are for.[1]
  • Its eggs take about eight months to hatch.[1]

Vocabulary

tortoise
A turtle that lives on land.
spur
A sharp, bony point that sticks out from an animal's leg.
burrow
A hole or tunnel dug in the ground by an animal.
Sahel
A dry strip of land in Africa along the southern edge of the Sahara Desert.
succulent
A plant with thick, juicy leaves that store water.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. “Geochelone sulcata (African spurred tortoise).” https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Geochelone_sulcata/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Centrochelys sulcata (African Spurred Tortoise).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/163423/1006958 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

More Turtles and Tortoises

An alligator snapping turtle with a ridged, spiky shell resting on grass.Alligator Snapping TurtleMacrochelys temminckiiThe largest freshwater turtle in the United States, which lures fish into its open jaws with a worm-like bit on its tongue.A diamondback terrapin with a patterned shell and spotted gray skin walking on grass.Diamondback TerrapinMalaclemys terrapinA colorful turtle of coastal salt marshes from the Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico, the only turtle besides sea turtles that lives in brackish water.An eastern box turtle with an orange-and-brown patterned shell walking on pavement.Eastern Box TurtleTerrapene carolinaA land turtle of the eastern United States that can close its shell like a box and may live more than 100 years.A mata mata turtle with a flat, fringed head resting on stones underwater.Mata MataChelus fimbriataA camouflaged Amazon turtle with a flat head and snorkel nose that vacuums up fish by suddenly opening its mouth.Three pancake tortoises with flat brown shells resting among rocks and straw.Pancake TortoiseMalacochersus tornieriA critically endangered East African tortoise with a thin, flat, flexible shell that hides in rock cracks instead of in its shell.A radiated tortoise with yellow star-like lines on its domed shell walking over rocks.Radiated TortoiseAstrochelys radiataA critically endangered Madagascar tortoise named for the yellow star-like lines on its high, domed shell.