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Habitat
Hot, dry savanna and thornscrub south of the Sahara, from Senegal east to Eritrea. Digs deep burrows (3–10 m, up to 20 °C cooler than the surface) to escape heat and cold.
Climate & seasons
Extreme: 35–43 °C (95–110 °F) days, cool nights, with a brief intense wet season. Captive enclosures need basking spots around 35–40 °C, ambient 24–30 °C, and a dry shelter for cold weather.
Diet
Pure grazer. Wild and captive diets should be 90 %+ grasses and hay (Bermuda, orchard, timothy), with weedy greens (dandelion, plantain, mulberry) and only tiny amounts of fruit. Fruit and high-protein foods cause rapid pyramiding and kidney damage.
Temperament
Confident, food-motivated, and persistent. Adults will push through fences and dig out of yards if not properly contained. Males get territorial and combative.
Shell & anatomy
Massive, beige to brown carapace with prominent growth rings. Two to three sharp "spurs" on each thigh — the spurred in "African spurred." Heavily built limbs for digging.
Conservation status
IUCN Endangered in the wild despite being abundant in captivity. Habitat is shrinking fast from overgrazing and desertification. CITES Appendix II.
As a pet
Often sold tiny and cute, ends up 70 kg (150 lb) and bulldozer-strong. Adults need a fenced outdoor yard with a heated, insulated shed for winter — indoor-only adult care is impractical in most climates. Wonderful animals for people with the land and budget.
Field notes
- Third-largest tortoise species, after the Galápagos and Aldabra giants.
- Burrows can run 10 m long and shelter many other animals.
- Can go weeks without standing water, getting moisture from forage and dew.