Sulcata Tortoise Care Guide

(Centrochelys sulcata)

Quick Facts:

Appearance & Distinctive Features:

• Shell: High-domed, Oval shaped, strong, thick, heavy bone structure. Can grow up to 24-30 inches in size. Usually sandy yellow color or light brown.
• Spurs: Large, conical spurs on thighs (hence “African spurred tortoise”).
• Plastron: Broad, flat, cream-colored. Males can have a concave plastron.
• Sexual Dimorphism: Males are slightly larger with longer gular scutes and concave plastrons. As well as the tail will be slightly longer. Female have flat plastrons and shorter stubbier tails.

Enclosure & Setup:

Indoor:

• Indoor keeping– Great for hatchlings and juvenile tortoises. Adults should be kept outdoors.
• Size– A minimum of 4x2ft is what I recommend. Closed chamber is best as it helps control humidity and temperatures. Tortoise tables also can work but be sure to add a humid hide or section.
• Must have: Always have a water dish, hides, and food dish.
• Lighting like uvb and heating like basking will be required indoors.
• Substrate will also be needed. Sand/soil, coco coir mix works well.

Outdoor Housing:

• Outdoor Keeping: This is best for adult sulcatas and juvenile tortoise 5 inches or bigger.
• Size– 200-500sqft. Bigger is always better and sulcatas can use all the space. They are the 3rd largest tortoise.
• fencing solid (wood, block, or wire with boards) at least 18–24 in high and buried 8–12 in to prevent digging escapes.
• Provide shaded areas, edible plants, and Water. Also if you have the space big grazing space is nice for them. They are a grazing species.
• Shelter– Sulcatas do not hibernate so you will need to have a heated hide, shed, or room for them during cooler months. This will also help prevent them from burrowing which is a natural behavior for them.
• Area– Pick a spot with shade and sun. This is important as it gives the tortoise choices in where they want to be.

Heating, Temperature & Lighting:

Heating:

• Heat Emitters & Deep Heat Projector– These work great for indoors, also they can work to heat smaller heated hides. They provide heat without any light so even if you need night heat this could help.
• Radiant heat panels– great to use in bigger shelters and heated hides. Mounted on the ceiling or wall it can be put on a thermostat and keep temperatures just right.
• Oiled filled heaters– another option for shelters and bigger hides. Make sure to block it or keep it out of reach of the tortoises, but it can heat a hide or shelter fairly efficient. Also they have built in thermostats usually.
• Heat mats– Pig blankets, kane heat mats, and others like these work great. I use them for medium sized tortoises and put them on thermostats or mount them on the side wall to heat hides.

Temperatures:

• Daytime Temperatures: 80–90 °F (27–32 °C) is ideal temperatures in the day.
• Basking Temperatures: 95–105 °F (35–40 °C) Is what you want directly under the basking light.
• Nighttime Temperatures: 70–75 °F (21–24 °C) is ideal at night. Use heat emitters if it gets to cold at night.
• Winter Temperatures: These tortoises do not hibernate. They should be kept warm all year round. They need space to warm up and get out of the cold. If it dips below 65*F its time to turn some heaters on.

Lighting:

• UVB lighting– This is a must when keeping tortoises or reptiles indoors. This allows them to break down calcium and absorb it. I like to use tube style UVB lights 5.0 or 10.0. MVB work well too if you have a bigger enclosure.
• Basking– Basking provides a heated spot where the tortoise can warm up. A heat emitter, or halogen bulbs are made for this purpose.
• Nighttime– I do not use any lights on my tortoises. You can use a red light for heat, but I would not use any light at night.

Substrate & Humidity:

• Substrate Indoors: 50/50 organic top soil, and coco coir. This holds great humidity and moisture. Allows for burrowing.
• Substrate outdoors: Native dirt and soil, grass as substrate for grazing. Can have sections with soil/ sand mix for nesting and small burrows, but mostly grass covered hard ground is best to help prevent digging.
• Indoor Humidity: Aim for 60-80% humidity. This helps prevent pyramiding and helps with hydration.
• Outdoor Humidity: 50-70% humidity is idea. A little harder to control but using plants and or providing a nice humid hide or area can help. If you live in a already humid area do the opposite and provide hides with hay and warmth to help dry it out.

Diet, Feeding, & Water:

Diet: (Herbivorous)

• Primary Food(s): Grasses, weeds, hibiscus leaves, grape leaves, dandelion greens.
• Supplemental Veggies: Squash, carrots, bell pepper, leafy greens like Swiss chard, red leaf/green leaf lettuce.
• Fruits (treats only): Strawberry, mango, melons, papayas. Only as treats.
• Supplements: Calcium powder is great a few times a week. Also you can put cuttle bone in the enclosure and they will nibble it as they want.
• Commercial food: Mazuri tortoise diet is what I like to use. It works great for a few times a week or when you don’t have food ready.

Feeding:

• Graze daily is what is best. This is a great diet and way to go if you can provide it. I also like to put leafy greens down, flowers etc.
• Feeding commercial food 2-3x a week is pretty good rule of thumb if you use it. Sometimes I use it more or less depending what I have available
• Primary feed– should be grasses and weeds. Flowers, leaves, and dark leafy greens can all be fed daily.

Water:

• Fresh water daily is important. Even as a desert species they need fresh water available everyday.
• Large Shallow pan or trough works great.
• Large water dish/pond that they can easily walk in and out of.
• They will use mud wallows, but not as much as other species.
• Shade over the water helps a ton keeping it cool, as well as to help with evaporation.

Behavior & Daily Care:

• Diurnal– Most active early mornings and late evening when it cools down. On cooler days they can graze all day.
• Midday heat– Will find shade or retreat back to their hides to avoid the heat. This species will also burrow down to avoid the heat.
• Generally gentle giants—can recognize caregivers and learn feeding routines. Males can be aggressive when its mating season.
• Soaking– they will use shallow water dishes or mud wallows to keep cool.
• Handle minimally– always support their heavy body fully. Tortoises like all reptiles get stressed when handled to much.

Health & Common Issues:

• Pyramiding: Prevent with proper humidity and diet.
• Respiratory Infections: Ensure warm, dry housing with ventilation. Avoid cold and wet.
• Overgrown Beak/Nails: Provide rough surfaces and fibrous foods. If you have to you might have to trim it back by taking it to a vet, or doing it yourself.
• Parasites: Annual fecal checks recommended. Parasites is a real threat and usually attacks when a tortoise is weak. Be sure to do yearly checks minimum.

Breeding & Reproduction:

• Breeding Season: Late spring through early fall. Rainy season triggers mating in the wild. May- October is ideal months.
• Sexual Maturity – Typically around 7-8 years, but it can be based on sized in big tortoises like this so 12-14 inches they might start breeding.
• Clutch Size: 15–30 eggs per clutch. Large females can lay 30-40+ eggs. They can lay multiple clutches a year.
• Incubation: 90-120 days. Temperature at 85*F-88*F.
• Hatchlings: Require warm, humid enclosures and daily soaks. The key is a nice smooth slow growth.

FAQs:

Resources & Next Steps:

• Full Care Guide → /care-guides/
• Diet & Nutrition → /diet/
• Habitat & Enclosures → /habitat/
• Gear Reviews → /gear-reviews/