Centrochelys sulcata

(Miller, 1779)

Vernacular names
English : African spurred tortoise
French : Tortue à éperons

Classification
Class : Reptilia
Order : Testudines
Family : Testudinidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Adults can reach a length of 83 cm for a weight of 105 kg. Prominent spur-like scutes on forelegs. Long double spur located on ventral part of shell, under the neck. Coloration is sandy to beige, juveniles having black edges to shell scales.

Range and habitat
The species occurs in the northern half of Africa, in the Sahara desert and Sahel, from Mauritania and Senegal to Nigeria and Sudan. Lives in arid to semi-arid grasslands, savannas and thorny shrubland.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : ENDANGERED
CITES : Appendix II
Status : The species is locally numerous but has declined because of over-collection for the pet trade, hunting for food and trophies, and habitat loss.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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