African Spurred Tortoise

African Spurred Tortoise
By Rajib Singha

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As the name suggests, the African spurred tortoise is an inhabitant of northern Africa. It homes the southern edge of the Sahara desert. This article is a quick guide to the basic facts and aspects surrounding the life of this creature.

The African spurred tortoise, also known as African spur thigh tortoise, stands as the third largest species of tortoise in the world. Scientifically attributed as Geochelone sulcata, this species is also the largest of all mainland species of tortoise. This species is believed to have a life span of 80 years. However, the oldest of them is known to have lived for about 56 years. Hot, semi-arid and arid regions ranging from desert fringes to dry savannah, urbanization or pastures, and deforestation areas, grass and shrub lands, mainly constitute the African spurred tortoise habitat. The creature spends the hottest part of the day, resting in burrows. These burrows lead the animal to the areas of the ground, where there is a high moisture level. The African spur thigh tortoise is capable of digging tunnel like burrows up to 10 feet or more underground and burrows which may be averagely 30 inches in depth. Now, let's get onto some more facts about this African spurred tortoise.

African Spurred Tortoise Facts

In the wild, the African spurred tortoise food consists of 100% herbivorous diet, which consists of grasses, dried grass and leaves, morning-glory plants, weeds, etc. In captivity, the diet comprises of baled-alfalfa, purina pure pride horse chow, grass, plants and assorted fruits and vegetables. So, when it comes to an African spurred tortoise care, diet is the most important aspect to be taken care of. The diet must consist of foods high in fiber, low in protein and high in calcium. This ensures healthy digestion and proper growth of the animal.

Other food items which can be fed to the animal include orchard grass, hay timothy, Bermuda grass, hay dandelions, clover, endive, grape leaves, mulberry leaves, cactus pads, etc. It is to be remembered that the digestive system of the tortoise is not adaptable to process high sugar content foods. That is the reason why, the animal must be sparsely fed with fruits. Dog or cat foods do not do any good for the creature. In fact, there have been so many cases, wherein, African spurred tortoises died due to prolonged intake of such foods. Addition of calcium supplements are also important for the African spurred tortoise diet. This can be taken care of by sprinkling powdered calcium on its food.

The rainy season is considered ideal for the African spurred tortoise to begin its reproduction process. September through November is the period, which is usually the breeding season for these creatures. The male is a larger being than the female and is characterized by its strong vocals in the process of mating. Sixty days post mating, the female begins its search for spots, which are suitable for nesting. The eggs are buried in a pear shaped hole, dug by the female. Clutches may have 15 - 30 or more eggs. Once the eggs are laid, the mother works for about an hour, to fully cover them all. It takes about 8 months for the babies to hatch and are of a pale yellow and brown color with a two inch, wavy textured shell.

An African spurred tortoise as pet is a pretty good choice for many hobbyists. As you are already aware of its feeding requirements, I am certain that keeping it as a pet would not be quite a daunting task. As far as shelter is concerned, a small kennel or small shed is good enough to keep the animal. To keep the tortoise from the pangs of cold weather, it is advisable to provide it with a heated shed. Apart from the foods, a pan of water and a muddy wallow should be provided to the tortoise. As an owner, you must ensure that the tortoise has no access to anything which it can climb on. Doing so, the animal may tip over onto its back and if it is not rescued in time, it may most possibly end up dying.

So, there you have every basic fact which you need to know about the African spurred tortoise or the African spur thigh tortoise. From the above description, it can be inferred that there are considerable amount of changes which need to be looked after to, when the tortoise is brought from the wild into a domestic surrounding. However, taking care of its feeding and shelter, does not give rise to any sort of a challenge.

nice info sir....