African Spurred Tortoise/ Sulcata Tortoise: Caring for Them in Captivity

The African Spurred Tortoise, also known as the Sulcata Tortoise, is the third largest tortoise in the world originating from Africa. Because of their size, and their active daily activities, Sulcata tortoises can actually be quite hard to care for. They have a burrowing habit which can be quite destructive, and is the reason why they are seen at the rescues because their owners did not anticipate the destruction they could cause and the care and attention that they would require. The Sulcata Tortoise is classified as a rather difficult pet to care for although their feeding and health care is relatively simple and straight-forward. Sulcata Tortoises are quite capable of turning a garden upside down!

Before bringing home your newly found pet, that is if you decide to care for a Sulcata tortoise, it is important that you bring them to a reptile veterinarian first. Sulcata Tortoises are most susceptible to some parasites such as the Giardia and the Hexamita Parva. Once you are sure that your tortoise does not have any parasites or the parasites have been rid of, you can bring your newly found pet home.

Generally, the Sulcata tortoise can live outdoors as long as the temperature is between 80 - 90 degrees Fahrenheit in daytime. There has to be plenty of shade around for the tortoise so that it can cool down whenever necessary. At night, the temperature should not drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. If at any point, the living outdoor conditions do not match these temperatures or is overly humid, indoor quarters should be provided for them.

Feeding the Sulcata tortoise is quite simple. The Sulcata tortoises generally will feed on grasses and leaves; the best diet for them is to just place them outdoors where they can be free to graze on different types and varieties of grass. They also have a sweet tooth, and enjoy fruits like apples; these and store produces should be given sparingly because fruits can cause diarrhea and store produce usually has less roughage than their natural diet. The young also need calcium to grow quickly and to encourage shell growth and proper bone development. You can lightly dust their food with a powdered calcium carbonate. They also need water around; Juveniles in particular will need more water than the adults. Juveniles should be soaked about three times every week. It is important to ask a veterinarian about how to care and feed for your Sulcata tortoise properly. For example, you can even feed them alfalfa although it should be done so sparingly.

Burrowing is an important habit that each Sulcata Tortoise has, and is what many owners do not expect. Burrowing is very important to these tortoises; thus, it is important to plan out the location for where they can burrow and more. Your tortoise should be given some material for burrowing purposes; alfalfa pellets and timothy hay make very good bedding material as they will not harm the tortoise even when it is ingested.

The Sulcata Tortoise is a very interesting and amazing breed of tortoise. While they may be bigger than most tortoises and live to an exceptional old age, they are wonderful pets to have although they are hard to care for. It is important to research all of the information about the Sulcata Tortoise before deciding whether or not to care for one; keep in mind, what it takes to care for them otherwise they may have to end up at a rescue.