African Spurred Tortoise
Centrochelys sulcata
🐢🌵
Chordata
Reptilia
Testudines
Cryptodira
Testudinidae
Centrochelys
Centrochelys sulcata
Centrochelys = “spur tortoise” (Greek roots for center/spine + tortoise); sulcata = “furrowed,” referencing the shell’s deep growth grooves.
The largest mainland tortoise, built for survival in the Sahel’s extreme drylands.
Description
Centrochelys sulcata is the largest tortoise native to continental Africa and the third largest tortoise species in the world. Adults commonly reach 60–100 kg, with exceptional males exceeding 100 kg. Its carapace is broad, domed, and deeply furrowed with growth rings—giving the species its name. The front limbs are heavily scaled for digging, and massive keratinous spurs occur on the thighs.
Native to the southern Sahara and Sahel grasslands, this species is adapted to harsh, arid climates. Sulcatas construct extensive burrows exceeding 3 m deep, maintaining moisture and temperature stability underground. They are strict herbivores, feeding on dry grasses, forbs, and occasionally succulents. Their extremely low metabolism and ability to store water within specialized tissues allow survival under extreme drought cycles.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
120
0.4
0.3
0.8
kg
m
m
m
Grazer
Grazer
Hunt History
Although wild sulcatas have a long natural history in North Africa, archaeological evidence for direct human consumption is sparse; most cultural association arises from modern pastoral societies that encounter the tortoises incidentally. They appear in Holocene faunal assemblages from the Sahel, indicating continuity in the region’s grassland–scrub fauna. In modern times, C. sulcata has become globally widespread in captivity, often exceeding natural sizes due to abundant food.
Three examples:
• Holocene faunal material from Sahel sites shows large testudinids consistent with sulcata-range tortoises.
• Burrow-associated sediment layers reveal long-term occupation of arid steppe ecosystems.
• Modern pastoral communities occasionally utilize the tortoise for meat in scarcity periods, reflecting stable availability of slow-moving reptiles in arid regions.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Extant
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
0
BP
Late Pleistocene
Central-North Africa, Sahel/Sahara
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Low
Fat %
6
Est. Renderable Fat
4
kg
Targeted Organs
Adipose Depots
Preferred Cuts
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
1