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Sulcata Tortoise
Centrochelys sulcata
The third-largest tortoise on Earth — sold as a golf-ball-sized hatchling and destined to become a 100-pound, fence-flattening, decades-long project.
24–30 in · 80–150 lb70+ years
Habitat
Enclosure
Adults need a secure outdoor pen of 8×4 ft or much larger
Temperature
Basking 100–105°F · cool zone 75–80°F
Humidity / Water
Dry 30–50% · humid burrow area
Heating & lighting
Outdoor pens with heated shelters or night boxes are the practical setup for adults. Basking 100–105°F, dry climate with a humid burrow retreat. A sulcata will bulldoze fences and dig four feet down — build like it's a tiny tractor.
Diet
Feed these
- Grass and Bermuda grass
- Weeds — dandelion, plantain, mallow
- Opuntia (prickly pear) cactus pads
- Hibiscus flowers
- Edible landscaping like mulberry leaves
Never feed
- Fruit (their digestion needs grasses)
- Dog or cat food
- Animal protein
- Grocery lettuce as the whole diet
True grazers built for grass: the bulk of the diet should be grass, weeds, and edible flowers. They eat for hours a day and dig burrows with it.
Cohabitation
Can live with
No one — house this species alone.
Never house with
Other sulcatas — males ram and flip each other Any other species
One per yard. They plow, dig, and flip each other — and males ram anything tortoise-shaped.
