An African spurred tortoise walking on dry ground.

African spurred tortoise (*Centrochelys sulcata*).

Creator: Crisco 1492

Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

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Species record

African Spurred Tortoise

Centrochelys sulcata

Explore the African Spurred Tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

The African spurred tortoise is a large land tortoise of the Sahel's savannas and deserts. Its fragmented range extends from Mauritania and Senegal to Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea, though recent records from Saudi Arabia and Yemen may represent historical introductions. It excavates deep burrows to escape heat and drought, feeds chiefly on grasses and other vegetation, and is listed as Endangered by the IUCN.

Classification in this archive

  1. Kingdom: Animals
  2. Phylum: Chordates
  3. Subphylum: Vertebrates
  4. Class: Reptilia
  5. Order: Testudines
  6. Family: Testudinidae
  7. Genus: Centrochelys
  8. Species: Centrochelys sulcata

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat
savanna, desert
Selected regions
Africa
Selected countries
Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan

Conservation status

The Ark records: Endangered.

Did you know?

  • The African spurred tortoise digs deep burrows that protect it from extreme heat and dry conditions.
  • Overlapping scales on an African spurred tortoise’s forelegs and cone-shaped thigh spurs give it its name.

More images

An African spurred tortoise resting on sand.

African spurred tortoise (*Centrochelys sulcata*) resting on sand.

Creator: ShajiA

Licence: Public domain

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African spurred tortoise walking outdoors at Maroparque.

African spurred tortoise photographed at Maroparque.

Creator: H. Zell

Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0

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Sources and attribution