Sulcata Tortoise

The zoo now has 3 Sulcata or African Spurred Tortoise. These animals are all rescue animals.

The tortoise are African Spurred or Sulcata Tortoise are a burrowing tortoise and are known for digging long tunnels. They can dig tunnels up to 6 feet deep and 30 feet long. The largest one we have weighs about 55 pounds and is placed in a heated box in the evening and this keeps him comfortable all night. He too outgrew his owners ability to care for him. African Spurred Tortoises (Geochelone sulcata) are the third largest species of tortoise in the world, after the Galapagos and Aldabra tortoises. Adult sulcata tortoises can weigh 70 to 150 pounds, and measure 24 to 30 inches in shell length. They can also live for over 100 years if cared for properly. They are strictly vegetarians and enjoy grasses, leaf lettuce, sweet potatoes and grassy hay.

A face only a mother could love.