Sulcata tortoise are a widely known tortoise pet species for many reasons. Also known as the African spurred tortoise, they are natively from north-central Africa, thus very adaptable to diverse climates and habitats. Unlike other breeds, they are known for their large scales, immense size, and tan and brown shell. This tortoise breed not only grows very large but also grows very rapidly. They can live for more than 100 years.
While these features, low maintenance cost, and curious personality make them a perfect tortoise breed for first-time tortoise owners, they are not ideal for everyone as they live longer and have specific handling and care requirements. Nonetheless, if you keep them healthy and happy, you can enjoy their friendly, fun, and curious companionship. Below are specific details that influence sulcate tortoise growth and care.
Are Sulcata Tortoise Good Pets?
Generally, Sulcata tortoises are known to be very social with their owners. They easily form relationships, recognize their parents, and have unique personalities. They are a curious yet docile breed, which makes them good pets even in homes with young children. By nature, they are a solitary breed that thrives in captivity, especially when raised in hot and dry areas. However, due to their large size, they should be housed outdoors.
As mentioned, they are increasingly becoming a popular breed for many reasons. Among the reasons is their easy care requirements, long lifespan, and outgoing personalities. However, you may not like their burrowing behavior that can damage your yard. They are also giant, thus requires a lot of space for roaming and grazing.
Sulcata Tortoise Physical Appearance
Sulcata Tortoise has yellowish skin and a tan-to-brown shell, which makes them easy to spot. This color often helps them camouflage when living in their native sandy environment. Their alternative name, African spurred tortoise, is due to the three spurs located on their thighs. They also have prominent and overlapping scales in all their legs.
Their top shell is oval with several well-defined grooves. At a younger age, it might be difficult to separate males from females. However, this becomes easy once they attain 15 pounds. The distinguishing features between males and females include;
- Males have inward curving bottom shells while females have flat
- Males grow V-shaped anal scutes while females develop U-shaped scutes
- Males have longer tails
Even though some Sulcatas are slightly lighter and others dark, most have the typical yellow to brown color.
How Big do Sulcata Tortoise Get?
Sulcata Tortoise gives birth to approximately two-inch sized baby Sulcatas. After birth, their growth primarily depends on their diet, environment, and enclosure. Healthy Sulcata Tortoise can grow up to 7 inches within one year and gain between five and ten pounds yearly. Nonetheless, they are slow growers and reach adult size after 20 years. Adult females weigh between 70 and 90 pounds and measure 20 to 30 inches. Males, on the other hand, are slightly larger than females.
Sulcata Tortoise Care Guide
As mentioned, a lot goes into taking care of your Sulcata Tortoise. The guide below outlines some of the key care tips that influence its growth.
The behavior of Sulcata Tortoise
Sulcata Tortoise are big, slow, and quite like most tortoise species. However, they are curious creatures, sometimes leading to their detriment. They can be stuck in tight spaces or flip themselves and unable to right themselves. When kept as pets, they are generally docile and pleasant. They are territorial and rarely aggressive. Despite this, they shouldn’t be regularly handled, especially when younger and fragile. Excessive handling can lead to several health issues and premature death.
That aside, Sulcata Tortoise are strong and like moving around. As such, you should keep them in large areas where they can widely roam freely. They also need to burrow away from the heat by retreating to their pellets or get into muddy wallows flipping cool mud to their backs for hours.
Regardless of whether kept indoors or outdoors, Sulcata Tortoise roams about to satisfy their voracious eating habits. Like other tortoises, they are also climbers. Therefore, you should watch out to prevent them from climbing very steep surfaces and toppling over. If they flip to their backs, they might not right themselves and can die.
You should also remove dangerous objects from their vicinity. Steps, raccoons, dogs, and children are just but a few dangers to guard them against. Being voracious, Sulcata Tortoise can ingest anything small enough or colorful. They don’t bask on bare open and thus require some low growing plants to crowd in. Besides, create for them an interesting terrain by building low hummocks, pieces of wood, edible plants, and clumps of weeds.
Sulcata Tortoise Diet
Most Sulcata Tortoise describes them as eating machines. This is because they graze and forage for hours in the day. Even in captivity, ensure that they graze on herbicide and pesticide-free weeds and grasses. Their diet includes;
- Hay and grasses – Sulcata Tortoise should access hay and grasses to graze on. This mixture makes up the bulk of their diet and should be chemical-free. However, avoid feeding your tortoise on alfalfa hay, as they contain high oxalates levels and can cause the formation of kidney stones in their bladder. This leads to kidney failure and decreases their life span. Best grass hay options include meadow grass, orchard grass, oat hay, and timothy.
- Greens and vegetables – green options to offer your Sulcata Tortoise include kales, turnip, dandelion greens, collard greens, and mustard. Similarly, limit greens that are rich in oxalates, such as beet greens, parsley, and spinach. Vegetables should be approximately 20 percent of their diet. Use grated raw carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, pumpkin, and winter squash.
- Fruits – you should feed your Sulcata Tortoise with fruits sparingly, mostly as a treat. Fruits are high in water and sugar, both of which Sulcatas are not accustomed to feeding in while in the wild. Appropriate fruits include strawberries, peaches, apricots, apples, and bananas with skin.
- Supplementation – vets recommend feeding your Sulcata Tortoise with multivitamin supplements at least twice weekly for faster growth and better health.
Sulcata Tortoise responds quickly to bright colors. Therefore, include at least one colored food in your diet selection. Similarly, keep any brightly colored inedible staff away from them.
Housing Sulcata Tortoise
Sulcata Tortoise requires a lot of room to roam and graze. Therefore, it is not recommended to keep them indoors. Temporary indoor housing should only be provided during cold or damp weather conditions.
Outdoor housing should be provided in dry and high heat housing units during inclement weather. Daytime temperatures should range between 85 and 105F, while nighttime temperatures can drop to 70F. It is good to keep them in see-through fencing. As mentioned, this breed loves burrowing. Therefore, provide materials that they can dog or burrow, such as hay, leaves, or straw.
When building the fence, note that they can burrow or dig their way out of the enclosure. Therefore, the fencing should be not only tall but also deep enough to prevent them from burrowing through. You should also provide a water bowl with low sides for the tortoise to reach. Tortoise cannot swim and can easily drown. Therefore, while ensuring that the sides of the bowl are low, also ensure that the water isn’t deeper than the tortoise’ bridge. Water should be changed daily.
If housed indoors, they require UVB light to process calcium and manufacture Vitamin D3. They are also ectotherms, thus control their body temperature using the environment. Therefore, for a successful indoor enclosure, you should install a UVB light source. They also need a basking bulb.
Lifespan and Health Problems of Sulcata Tortoise
Most Sulcata tortoises live between 80 and 100 years, making them a lifelong commitment. However, when kept in captivity, several health conditions can shorten their lifespan. Among the common health issues faced by this breed include;
- Calcium deficiency – this can manifest in multiple ways, including metabolic bone disease and shell softening. However, you can prevent it by providing an appropriate diet and ensuring your pet has access to sufficient natural sunlight.
- High protein – excessive protein can manifest in several ways, including shell pyramiding and uric acid buildup in the bladder that can cause life-endangering urinary obstruction. This condition can simply be prevented by feeding your tortoise with the right diet.
- Respiratory diseases – often characterized by discharge from eyes, nose, and raspy breathing. To prevent this condition, improve the living conditions of your pet.
- Dehydration – it is another common health issue characterized by weight loss, flaky skin, dry feces, and lethargy. Hatchlings are specifically prone to dehydration as they have very thin skins.
If your Sulcata Tortoise appears lethargic, has no appetite, or displays any other sign of illness, you should have him/her checked by a veterinarian. Prolonged sickness can lead to irreversible liver and kidney damage.
Reproduction of Sulcata Tortoise
Reproduction often occurs immediately after a rainy season while in the wild. This often starts from September to November but can occur from June to March as well. Males are very vocal during mating. As eggs develop inside the female, their appetite decreases, they become restless, and they roam around looking for a suitable nesting site. She can excavate several options before choosing one.
Females typically dig a large nest, with up to two feet diameter and several inches deep, before depositing up to 30 eggs. Sulcata Tortoise in warm areas kept outdoors can have two clutches of eggs. After laying, the female fills the nest and covers the eggs with soil and other materials.
Eggs incubate for almost eight months before hatchlings emerge from the nest. Despite being 2-inches in length, hatchlings are aggressive and ram into anything within their enclosure. You should keep the hatchlings indoors in a vivarium or dry aquarium. Enclosures should also be kept at 72F with a basking area of 95F for 12 hours daily for healthy growth.
While hatchlings may not eat right away, you should provide food until they start to feed. They tend to prefer dark greens, such as collards, grasses, kale, alfalfa, and dandelion. Calcium supplements and multivitamins can also be included in their diet.
Sulcata Tortoise Availability
Young Sulcata Tortoise are available from various sources, including local breeders, pet stores, and reptile expos. However, all hatchlings are captive-bred as importation is illegal. Pricing for Sulcata Tortoise babies largely depends on the size, age, and season. Also, once the Sulcata grows big enough to be identified as a female, its price generally rises due to its breeding potential. You can also adopt Sulcata Tortoise from families and rescues that can’t take care of this large pet anymore.
Choosing Sulcata Tortoise
You should purchase your Sulcata Tortoise from a renowned breeder who can give you detailed health history. Since this is a pet you will live with for a long period, starting on a healthy foot is prudent. For a healthy young Sulcata Tortoise, expect to part with between $50 and $200 on average.
Ensure that you carefully evaluate the tortoise for clear eyes and a smooth shell. If possible, also request to see it feeding. Healthy Sulcata Tortoise are voracious eaters. That aside, be sure that the task of adopting a Sulcata Tortoise cannot outlive you. Most Sulcata Tortoise are rehomed. Therefore, ensure that you have a plan for someone who can take the pet if taking care of the pet becomes challenging.
Is Sulcata Tortoise Hard to Care for?
Sulcata Tortoise are excellent pets if you do your research before adopting. They are large pets that require large grazing and burrowing space. As such, you should build a large outdoor enclosure with several hiding spots and obstacles to keep your tortoise busy. Their lengthy lifespan, good personality, and ability to survive outdoors often entice most owners. They can also form strong relationships with their owners. However, ensure that you observe various care tips outlined above to provide maximum health.