If you’ve ever met a giant pet tortoise, there’s a very good chance it was a Sulcata tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata). The Sulcata, or African spurred, tortoise is the third-largest living tortoise species in the world. It’s only surpassed by the Galápagos and Aldabra tortoises.
Sulcata tortoises come from the southern border of the Saharan desert. In the wild, these tortoises wander the dry landscape, graze on grasses and shrubbery, and burrow underground to escape the hot desert sun. Their behaviour in captivity is not much different!
I’ve put together this Sulcata tortoise size guide to help new owners understand the growth and development of their new pets. You’ll also learn how to maintain a healthy growth rate and exactly how much space your tortoise needs at any given size.
Sulcata Tortoise Growth and Size
The average adult Sulcata tortoise measures 18 to 22 inches long and weighs over 70 pounds. However, larger specimens measuring up to 30 inches long and weighing up to 150 pounds are also fairly common.
There’s a lot of variety in how big a Sulcata tortoise can grow. Influencing factors include diet, environment, sex, and genetics.
While many species of tortoise feature females that are larger than the males, this isn’t true of the Sulcata. Male Sulcata tortoises are on average several inches longer than the females.
Sulcata hatchlings start life quite small, measuring just 2 to 3 inches long on average. Hatchlings can grow 2 to 4 inches per year, with faster growth typically occurring earlier in life. A particularly large one-year-old tortoise can measure up to 10 inches long!
Sulcata tortoises are, unsurprisingly, slow-growing. It can take 10 to 15 years for a healthy tortoise to reach a decent size. At this point, growth slows down even more.
Your Sulcata tortoise should reach its mature size by age 25. Keep in mind, though, that tortoises never really stop growing. You’ll notice very subtle changes in your tortoise’s shape and size throughout its entire life.
Speaking of lifespan, the average domesticated Sulcata tortoise can live 50 to 150 years. A healthy tortoise will easily reach the upper end of that range with proper care.
Housing Requirements Based on Size
A big tortoise needs a big home, and providing you can accommodate their housing requirements, they can make great pets. The minimum recommended enclosure for one adult Sulcata tortoise ranges from 100 to 250 square feet. If you can go even bigger, I highly encourage you to do so!
Hatchling tortoises are typically started in enclosures measuring about 12 square feet. Space needs will change rapidly as the hatchlings grow, though, so don’t expect your tortoise to live in that small of an enclosure for too long.
Due to their preferred living conditions and space requirements, most Sulcata tortoises live outdoors. Some owners choose to bring their tortoises indoors at night and/or during inclement weather.
While there are some Sulcatas who live indoors full-time, these tend to be the exception rather than the rule. The ideal square footage and environment for Sulcata tortoises are generally only available outdoors.
In areas where nighttime temperatures stay above 50°F, your tortoise can stay outdoors year-round. If you live in a cooler region, then you may need to house your tortoise indoors (in a dedicated shelter or in your home) during part of the year.
Indoor Housing Solutions
A juvenile or adult Sulcata tortoise is very hard to keep indoors full-time. These tortoises enjoy lots of space to roam and graze and will become frustrated if housed in too small of a space. I typically only recommend indoor enclosures for temporary housing.
The one scenario where you might be able to keep a Sulcata indoors year-round is if you have a large room that you can dedicate to your tortoise. This room should be designed to include many different ‘biomes’ with various heat levels and substrates. You’ll also need to construct the room to prevent damage to the underlying materials from moisture, waste, or burrowing behaviors.
Young tortoises naturally need less space than their adult counterparts, so it’s possible to keep them indoors for longer periods of time. However, some believe that enclosure size can impact the growth rate of hatchlings and juvenile tortoises. Remember: more space is always better.
While outdoor living is preferred, there will be times when your tortoise wants or needs to escape the elements. A great alternative to an indoor enclosure like the ones described above is to construct a small, temperature-controlled shed. A well-made tortoise shed will provide shelter from harsh weather, shade from the sun, and a quiet place to hang out if the tortoise becomes stressed.
There are several ways to build one of these tortoise sheds. For example, a simple 8-foot-by-10-foot garden shed can be converted into a suitable shelter. Many tortoise owners opt to custom-build a shed that is only a few feet tall—this makes heating the shed much easier during the colder months.
Outdoor Enclosure Recommendations
As I mentioned above, an adult Sulcata tortoise needs at least 100 square feet to call its own. This is the bare minimum, though, and I highly suggest making the enclosure as large as physically possible. Sulcata tortoises like to roam and explore, and will quickly become frustrated if they don’t have the space to do so.
Young Sulcatas (up to 2 years old) housed outdoors need a minimum enclosure size of 3 feet by 4 feet. As soon as your tortoise exceeds 6 inches long, however, you’ll want to start upgrading the enclosure to provide more space.
Sulcata tortoises can climb and burrow and will escape their outdoor enclosures if determined enough. I recommend a barrier around the entire enclosure that extends at least 2 feet above the ground. It should also extend 1 to 2 feet below ground to prevent your tortoise from burrowing under.
Whatever the size, your tortoise’s enclosure must be large enough to accommodate all of its needs. It must include space to bask as well as somewhere cool and shaded so that the tortoise can control its body temperature. You may want to include a dedicated grazing spot to make feeding and cleanup easier.
Your Sulcata tortoise should have some sort of house or shelter available at all times. You never know when it will want to escape rain, wind, or something it perceives as a threat. This shelter should connect to the outdoor enclosure so that your tortoise can easily transition from one space to the other.
Nutrition and Size
In the wild, Sulcata tortoises are opportunistic grazers. They’ll eat almost anything they come across, which mostly consists of rough desert grasses and shrubbery. This foliage provides most of the water, vitamins, and minerals Sulcata tortoises need to survive.
Sulcata tortoises will try to eat anything they can reach from their enclosures. Be careful not to place any potentially toxic plants around your tortoise’s enclosure it could mistakenly eat. Avoid using plastics and other materials when constructing the enclosure, as Sulcatas have been known to shred and eat pieces of plastic!)
Nutrition and size naturally go hand in hand. Your pet tortoise needs lots of good food to be able to grow big and strong. However, overfeeding can lead to serious health issues like obesity.
Dietary Needs
As a rule, at least 95% of a Sulcata tortoise’s food intake should come from vegetation. The vast majority of this 95% should consist of grass, hay, and broadleaf weeds.
Popular grasses include alfalfa, orchard, and Bermuda. These (among several other varieties) can be fed either fresh or dry. Many tortoise owners allow their pets to graze on their grass lawns. Tortoises also love common weeds like dandelion and clover.
While grasses and broadleaf weeds are excellent sources of fiber, pay attention to where these foods come from. Avoid any vegetation that has been chemically treated (including that growing within your own lawn or garden).
The grocery store produce aisle is a convenient place to find fresh tortoise food. However, not all produce is appropriate for regular feeding. Here are some of my go-to grocery items that make great tortoise food:
- Sprouts
- Arugula
- Turnip/mustard/collard greens
- Cactus fruit (not all grocers will stock this treat)
Produce like lettuce and carrots are great occasional snacks for your tortoise. Remember that these veggies should only make up a small portion of its regular diet. (They may be healthy for us but are too high in sugar and low in fiber for your average tortoise!)
Protein should make up no more than 5% of your tortoise’s diet. If possible, I recommend trying to eliminate protein from your tortoise’s routine diet entirely.
Any protein that is fed should come from plant sources (i.e., avoid animal-based protein sources like traditional pet food). Some owners believe this protein is easier to digest, though it still isn’t very good for your tortoise!
Your tortoise can accidentally get too much protein if you include things like legumes (i.e., beans) in its daily diet. Vegetables like spinach, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are also relatively high in protein and should be fed in small amounts.
Tips for Managing a Healthy Size
Sulcata tortoises eat a lot of food but not a lot of calories. The easiest way to keep your tortoise healthy and well-fed is by providing a diet almost entirely of dry and fresh grasses.
While overfeeding is a serious issue in tortoises, it’s nearly impossible to do if you’re feeding the right types of food. Avoid foods that are relatively high in sugar, fat, and protein.
A big question new owners have is how often to feed their pet tortoise. Unfortunately, there is no one right answer.
Several trusted sources advise feeding just a few times per week. Others recommend feeding smaller portions every day to ensure your tortoise always has food available.
Since Sulcata tortoises are avid grazers, I tend to lean toward feeding more often. It rarely hurts to offer food every day. Your tortoises may or may not eat depending on things like time of year, ambient temperature, and overall health. But at least it has the option of eating if it’s hungry.
Tortoises are naturally most active during the morning and afternoon, so I recommend feeding as early as possible. This will give your tortoise all day to graze. Check the enclosure at the end of the day and remove any uneaten food (this will prevent rotting and reduce the risk of attracting pests).
Here’s a little trick that can help ensure your tortoise is satisfied without wasting too much food:
- If your tortoise eats all of the food offered to it by the end of the day, increase the volume of food by 1/3 for the next meal.
- If your tortoise doesn’t eat all of its food by the end of the day, decrease the volume of food by 1/3 for the next meal.
Excess sugar and acid can disrupt the gut biome of a Sulcata tortoise. They have unique digestive tracts that allow them to effectively break down tough grass and plant foliage. Most owners – myself included – avoid things like strawberries and other overly sweet fruit. Fruit also contains a lot of calories compared to a tortoise’s normal diet.
If you really want to offer fruit as an occasional treat (once or twice per month), I recommend something like melon or cactus fruit.
Common Nutritional Issues
Two things contribute to most Sulcata tortoise health issues: diet and environment. Thankfully, these are things we can control. The most common dietary issues seen in pet Sulcatas are calcium deficiencies and excess protein.
Tortoises use a lot of calcium to keep their shells and skeletons healthy and strong. In the wild, tortoises tend to get enough calcium from their diets, but this isn’t always the case in captivity.
(Note that vitamin D also plays a role in calcium utilization. If your tortoise gets enough calcium from its diet but is deficient in vitamin D, it may still show symptoms of calcium deficiency. You can supplement vitamin D with access to natural sunlight or quality UVA/UVB lamps.)
Sulcata tortoises are grazers, which means they get most of their food from eating rough plants found in their natural habitats. These foods are naturally high in fibre and very low in protein. This isn’t a bad thing. Tortoises need little protein to stay healthy, and too much protein can actually cause health problems.
According to the California Turtle & Tortoise Club, excess protein in the diet may be linked to fatty liver disease in tortoises. Another common issue associated with protein is shell thickening or ‘pyramiding’.
Citations
- San Diego Zoo African Spurred Tortoise
- MedVet Sulcata Tortoise Background and Care Recommendations
- California Turtle & Tortoise Club Captive Tortoise Diet
