Geochelone Sulcata in Captivity
April 24, 2005
The African Spur Thigh Tortoise is the third largest tortoise in the world and the largest tortoise on the African continent. Sulcata tortoises seem to be the most commonly bought and bred tortoise in the world, particularly within the pet industry for tortoise breeding and keeping.
There are many factors you need to consider that can outweigh you, before getting into exotic species. The Sulcata tortoise is found in the Savanna Grasslands of Central Africa. In the wild, they can walk up to 11 miles a day to continually feed themselves. In captivity, you need to plan an eating future for them, even when they are 2 inches in size. Sulcata tortoises can grow to 36 inches in length and reach up to 200 pounds, eating over 8 percent of their body weight in just one day.
Proper husbandry is key to succeeding in keeping a healthy tortoise. Since they grow so fast, it is wise to start your hatchlings off in an enclosure that will house them for about 1 to 2 years of their life. Once they outgrow their baby enclosure, start introducing them into the outdoor environment where they will learn to constantly graze on grasses and flowers.
Any tortoise requires some expensive equipment; they require 11-13 hours of UV rays to stimulate proper bone stability, and most of all, healthy growth. A tortoise is not like a dog when it comes to "fitting in." You cannot keep them in a small enclosure. You have to give them as much room as possible.
An adult should be housed in an entire backyard measuring 100 feet by 90 feet to ensure they are mobilizing themselves as they would naturally. Feeding is another key ingredient to their health. A Sulcata tortoise's natural food balance is roughly 15 percent fiber, 2 percent protein, and 1 percent carbohydrate. They are strict herbivorous, which means no dog food, no cat food, and no live animals should ever be fed to your tortoise.
Once you have gone through the endurance of knowing how to care for your tortoise in captivity, you should find a breeder that can give you many hints and key tips to raising them the best way possible for a happy, healthy, and very long life.
Posted on April 24, 2005 in | Link | Comments (1)
Comments
Good info except remove the thigh from the Common name of the tortoise. Make it just "African Spur Tortoise. This would save a lot of confussion because there is another tortoise with Spur-thigh in it's name. The Greek tortoise is commonly called the Spur thigh.
Posted by: Cindy at October 3, 2005 09:13 PM