Spurshell turtle

Size: Males about 76 cm. Females about 50 cm.
Weight: Males up to 90 kg. Females up to 40 kg.
Lifespan: Over 50 years
Food: Herbivore- grasses, flowers, weeds and cacti

The spurred tortoise is the largest mainland African tortoise and the third largest tortoise in the world (Aldabra and the Galápagos Islands have tortoises that are even larger). It can grow up to 76 cm long and weigh over 45 kg, with some males reaching an impressive 90 kg!
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The African spurred tortoise has a sand-colored, oval-shaped shell that serves as camouflage in its natural environment. Its name comes from the characteristic spurs on its legs.‍

‍Living environmentand behavior:

This turtle lives in dry areas around the Sahara Desert. Spur-thighed tortoises are most active at dawn and dusk. In the morning they sunbathe to warm up their bodies. During the rainy season, from July to October, they are most active, looking for grasses and plants to eat before the dry season begins.

The turtles live alone and are very territorial. Females defend their feeding and digging areas from other turtles. When spurred tortoises feel threatened by each other, they fight by bumping into each other's shields and trying to knock their opponent over.

During the dry season, they enter a hibernation-like state and dig burrows to protect themselves from heat and drought. The daytime temperature where spurred tortoises live can reach up to 49°C. The burrows they dig can be up to 3 meters deep and around 30°C cooler than the outsidetemperature‍.

Reproduction and mating:

Mating takes place from September to November, shortly after the rainy season, during which time males fight each other for the opportunity to mate with a female. Approximately 60 days after mating, the female starts looking for a suitable nesting site - something that can take up to two weeks.

Once she has found the right spot, she digs a nest about 60 cm wide and 7-14 cm deep. She spends around five hours digging and preparing the site by moving soil and urinating to soften the ground. She then lays 15 to 30 eggs, one about every three minutes, and then covers the nest with soil, which takes about an hour.

The tiny turtles hatch after about eight months and are only 5-7.5 cm long, but grow rapidly. In African spurred tortoises, the sex of the hatchlings is determined by the temperature during egg development. Eggs kept at higher temperatures tend to become females, while lower temperatures result in males - a fascinating adaptation that occurs in many reptile species.

Threats to the population:

African spurred tortoise numbers have been declining rapidly, mainly due to changes in their habitats, such as urbanization, desertification and overgrazing by livestock. In addition, many spur-thighed tortoises are captured for international trade, either as pets or for their body parts.

As the majority of the captured tortoises are juveniles - taking around 15 years to reach sexual maturity - it is crucial that we act now to protect their natural habitats. By raising awareness and engaging in conservation efforts, we can help support wild populations and preserve this unique species for future generations.