African Spur Thigh Tortoises like to quarrel by nature. Combat is in their genetics. We do not try to force them on each other. Instead, we allow them to tell us who they want to get along with. This approach is better. Better for the fence and the tortoise.
For instance. When Jamie got here, we were asked to try to get his two girls to live with a smaller male. They had been together for 10 years as a group. Which makes sense because Jamie is so very large.
Still, when we did put the girls in another place, Jamie walked the fence all day, nonstop. Even though he does not see the females, he smells them.
The females seemed agitated, also. Or at least that is what we saw. After a few days of this, Ken took the girls and put them in his yard. This made him stop. Right away. He stopped pacing. We think we will take the girls out a lil’ bit at a time.
In this video, you meet Sweet Lil Bernie. She is so new to Crazy Critters Inc. This is her first time walking around. Ken put her with Big Boi together in one of the small areas. And they seem to get along. They may even be from the same region.
They look very similar. Big Boi smelled Bernie and even bit at her. They are not mean bites. It is a behavior you might notice while viewing the video. To us, the behaviors are much like when you bring a new puppy into the home. The tortoise we call Big Boi has been here the longest at six years. he is just smelling and nipping (but not nipping, you guys know what we are saying!)
The video is sped up 7x’s. We had to walk away and stop filming. The weather was so cold. We wanted the tortoises to feel comfortable. This way, they can eat and poop. Yes, I said poop. Because it is either poo while they are outside or in their night tubs. And that is better to be avoided if possible!
The African Sulcata Tortoise (Geochelone sulcata) can reach more than 200 pounds in weight and 36 inches in length. Its shape is round, with a tan-colored, patternless shell that is flatter than domed.
The word “sulcata” comes from the Latin word sulcus, meaning a groove or furrow. In regard to the sulcata tortoise, this means the distinctive growth rings. These rings are produced as the tortoise’s scutes grow with each seasonal cycle.
New shell growth appears around each scute. It begins as dark brown in coloration. Over the years, as the tortoise matures, it usually fades to a straw color. This fading occurs as it is bleached by the sun.
The plastron of a female is also flat, with anal scutes that form more of a “U” shape where the tail protrudes to allow the passing of eggs. A female’s tail is much shorter than a male’s, and all these sexual characteristics become more pronounced as the tortoises get bigger in size.
The home range of Sulcata is an approximately 250-mile-wide strip of land that sits just north of Ethiopia.
This relatively narrow strip of territory traverses the North African continent. It roughly corresponds with the transition zone between the Sahara Desert and the savannah/forest area. This area is known as the Sudan region that lies south of the Sahara. This transition zone is called the Sahel. This is a very unique biozone that features short shrubs, grasses, and dwarfed trees. It is not quite desert and not quite a savannah.
Because of its location, the Sahel can be a desert environment in some years. It can be a Savannah during others. This variation depends on the prevailing weather patterns. During any given year, it can receive 5 to 20 inches of rain. This usually occurs during the monsoon season. The monsoon season typically lasts from July to November.
The Sahel is a transitional zone for the weather between the desert and the Sudan region. It is also transitional in terms of soil fertility. The soil of the Sahel is only slightly more fertile than the desert but less so than the Sudan region. This is important. Even during times of plentiful rain, the vegetation of the Sahel remains stunted. This is caused by the soil’s low fertility.
Sulcata tortoises dig extensive burrows during the monsoon season. They prepare for when they need to seek refuge from the extreme heat of the dry season. They also escape from the high midday temperatures that occur during the rest of the year.
Sulcata burrows can extend horizontally well over 30 feet. In many cases, their vertical depth is more than 20 feet. The depth of a burrow provides a safe environment for a tortoise. It maintains relatively stable temperatures, despite the huge temperature fluctuations that occur outside of the burrow.
The depth of the burrow also provides humidity levels that are commonly over 50 percent. Sulcata burrows are much like the Florida Gopher Tortoise in that it usually includes multiple chambers and connecting tunnels,
After the wet season, they will feed on almost any organic matter they can find. This includes dried plants and leaves that remain during the dry season. Like most tortoises, sulcatas are opportunistic feeders in the wild.
They feed mostly on the abundant growth that follows the rainy season. They consume grasses, broadleaf weeds, leaves, and fruit from trees and bushes. During times of little to no plant growth, sulcatas have been known to also consume small branches and tree bark. They eat animal feces and carrion as well.
During the height of the dry season, sulcatas remain mostly inactive. They are seldom, if ever, seen outside their burrows. When the rainy season arrives, they will emerge to forage and replace lost reserves for reproduction.
Breeding and egg-laying usually take place at this time, although there is no exclusive breeding season. It has been reported that nesting in the wild often occurs at the base of bushes. There are low population densities of male sulcatas, which results in breeding throughout the year. Breeding happens whenever a male encounters a female (which is not very often).
Most of these encounters occur at the start of the rainy season. They also happen toward the end when sulcata tortoises are the most active. A female African Spur-Thigh Tortoise may lay as many as 24 eggs, though fewer are usually deposited. This typically occurs from November to May.
African Spurred Tortoise is surpassed in size only by the giant tortoises of the Galapagos Islands and Seychelles.
These tortoises grow very large. They also grow very rapidly up to two and a half feet long and 80-110 pounds or more.
If you need a home for your tortoise or other exotic, please drop us a line. We will contact you back within hours.
amzn_assoc_placement = “adunit0”;
amzn_assoc_search_bar = “true”;
amzn_assoc_tracking_id = “crazycritte02-20”;
amzn_assoc_search_bar_position = “bottom”;
amzn_assoc_ad_mode = “search”;
amzn_assoc_ad_type = “smart”;
amzn_assoc_marketplace = “amazon”;
amzn_assoc_region = “US”;
amzn_assoc_title = “Shop Related Products”;
amzn_assoc_default_search_phrase = “tortoise care”;
amzn_assoc_default_category = “All”;
amzn_assoc_linkid = “34b9bf8dd4072f373040db4a3297f24b”;
Like what you read? Appreciate the information. We are a non-profit 501c3! Thank us with a contribution by clicking DONATE!
Leave a Reply