How fast do African spurred tortoises grow?
Sulcatas grow rapidly and will reach their full adult size within 15-20 years.
How big can a African spurred tortoise get?
Its name comes from the overlapping scales on the front of its forelimbs and the 2-3 cone-shaped spurs on each thigh. The carapace of adults averages 18 inches in length, but can be as much as 2 or 3 feet long. These tortoises weigh an average of 70-100 pounds, but can weigh up to 200 pounds.
How quickly do sulcata tortoises grow?
Hatchling Size As hatchlings, Sulcata tortoises are often between 1.5 and 2 inches in upper shell length — still very small. However, within just a year or two, they can very quickly grow to 6 to 10 inches. For people who are thinking about a Sulcata tortoise as a pet, consideration of future size is vital.
How old is the African spur thigh tortoise?
It is also called the sulcata tortoise, spurred tortoise, and African spur thigh tortoise. Turtles and tortoises are a very old group of reptiles, going back about 220 million years.
When does an African spurred tortoise leave its den?
It is crepuscular in habit, meaning it leaves the den to forage at dawn and at dusk. It warms itself in the morning sun to raise its body temperature after the chill of night. The tortoise will become inactive during extreme temperatures and will hole up in an underground den.
What kind of food does an African spurred tortoise eat?
In their native habitat, these tortoises eat grasses, flowers, weeds, and cacti. Like all tortoises, they are herbivores; excessive protein and lack of proper lighting, diet, calcium, and vitamin D3 can lead to irregular bone growth and carapace deformities. Our sulcatas are fed chopped greens, Bermuda hay, and Mazuri tortoise diet pellets.
Is the African spurred tortoise a good pet?
It is surpassed only by the island dweller tortoises from Aldabra and Galápagos. This tortoise is a popular pet; it is bred and sold throughout the US, but as cute as the babies are, they grow quickly and, as mentioned, get extremely large. Many owners find them to be unmanageable and in need of a new home.
How big does an African spurred tortoise get?
Living in a shell. The African spurred tortoise is the largest mainland tortoise, easily reaching 30 inches (76 centimeters) in length and well over 100 pounds (45 kilograms) in heft. Some males even reach 200 pounds (90 kilograms)!
What should I do with my African spurred tortoise?
Fragile plants are likely to be destroyed by the tortoises once the animals have any size to them. For raising young African Spurred, you can try Sulcata tortoise indoor habitat creation. While outdoor housing is preferred anytime the temperatures are in the acceptable range; many people raise their sulcatas indoors for the first few years of life.
Can you buy African sulcata tortoise for free?
With a real animal Biologist, ON-SITE, shop with confidence that your new African Sulcata tortoise for sale will arrive bright-eyed, healthy and active. In addition, all of our baby African spurred tortoise for sale come with all the free support you need to learn proper care.
How big should a 2 month old sulcata tortoise be?
I’ve been looking through the forum to find something about the general growth rate for sulcata tortoises and I haven’t found anything except updated pictures of adult sulcatas. I want to know what the average growth of a sulcata is. For example a month old sulcata to a two month old sulcata is 2-2.5 inches, and so forth.