Sulcata Tortoise Care Guide
Centrochelys sulcata — African Spurred Tortoise
African spurred tortoises — commonly known as sulcatas — are a hardy tortoise from the deserts of Africa. Although small as hatchlings, adults can exceed 75 pounds, with exceptionally large individuals weighing over 100 pounds. With proper care they can live 70+ years in captivity.
Indoor Enclosure
Young tortoises are often kept indoors for the first few years to minimize risks from cats, birds, and dogs. The enclosure should be escape-proof and safe from other pets. Minimum size is 3 ft long × 2 ft wide. Avoid clear-sided enclosures such as glass aquariums — the tortoise will repeatedly attempt to walk through the glass. Suitable options include appropriately sized under-bed storage boxes, Waterland Tubs, or Zoo Med’s Tortoise House or similar tortoise table enclosures.
Provide hides at both the warm and cool ends — cork rounds, hollow logs, caves, or overturned planter pots all work. A humid hide filled with damp sphagnum moss should be provided; check and replace the moss frequently to prevent mold. Soaking wooden hides or cork rounds in water 1–2 times weekly can help maintain humidity, as indoor enclosures can be very dry.
Indoor substrate: Use a mix of 50% coconut fiber and 50% organic topsoil or cypress mulch, packed at least 1 inch deeper than the tortoise’s height to allow burrowing. Keep it slightly moist but never wet or muddy — appropriate humidity encourages normal shell growth. Avoid sand, gravel, reptile barks, wood shavings, and wood chips — these can cause digestive blockage or respiratory irritation.
Outdoor Enclosure
Most sulcatas eventually move to outdoor enclosures. Adults need at least 100 sq ft of floor space per tortoise. They can be kept in breeding trios (one male, up to four females), but fighting may occur. Sulcatas have been known to kill smaller tortoises — do not mix animals of vastly different sizes or different species. Breeding is generally discouraged as many rescues are already overpopulated with abandoned sulcatas.
Sulcatas dig long, elaborate burrows and can undermine house foundations and block walls if enclosures are not properly constructed. Adult sulcatas can push through chain link fencing unless it is deeply rooted and secured with stakes or a concrete foundation.
Outdoor enclosures should have a daytime high of up to 95°F and a nighttime low of 80°F or lower, with a day/night fluctuation of around 15°F. Always provide a cool/shaded zone around 85°F for retreat. Move sulcatas to warm, dry shelters when temperatures drop below 60°F or during prolonged cold rain.
Temperature
Provide heat with a lamp securely suspended above the enclosure at the manufacturer’s recommended distance. Place the lamp to one side to create a temperature gradient and give the tortoise room to choose its preferred temperature zone.
- Warm side: 85–90°F
- Cool side: no lower than 75°F
- Basking spot: 95–100°F
- Hatchling nighttime: 75–80°F (use a non-light-producing heat source such as a ceramic heat emitter)
- Adult nighttime minimum: above 60°F
Excessive nighttime heat without an adequate temperature drop is thought to contribute to shell pyramiding. Monitor temperatures with a digital probe thermometer or infrared laser thermometer. A reptile thermostat is recommended. Heat rocks should be avoided — they pose a serious risk of severe burns. Outdoor tortoises should have a thermometer in their sleeping area and a heated shelter when temperatures fall below 60°F.
Lighting
Indoor tortoises require UVB lighting to properly absorb calcium from their diet. UVB cannot pass through standard glass — placing a reptile near a window is not sufficient. Use reptile-specific UVB bulbs only — UV lights designed for fish or plants will not work.
Zoo Med 10.0 bulbs are recommended for desert reptiles. The Zoo Med Powersun mercury vapor bulb produces both heat and UVB but should only be used in large enclosures. Fluorescent UVB bulbs should be placed within 12–18″ of the tortoise. Mercury vapor bulbs produce significant heat and should be placed at least 12″ from the basking spot. Dense screening can block up to 50% of UVB — multiple bulbs may be needed. Replace all UVB bulbs every 6–12 months — they stop producing UVB before they stop producing visible light.
Outdoor tortoises receive all the UVB they need from the sun. Always provide both areas of direct sunlight and shade.
Humidity & Water
- Hatchlings and juveniles: 60–70% humidity
- Adults: 40–60% humidity
Measure with a digital hygrometer. Soak juveniles in shallow warm water (below chin level) for 10–20 minutes 1–2 times weekly to aid hydration. Provide a large, flat, shallow water bowl indoors and change/clean it daily. Do not leave standing water in outdoor enclosures for more than a day or two — stagnant water can harbor protozoan parasites.
Diet
Sulcata tortoises are herbivores and require a high-fiber diet for healthy growth and digestion. Always feed on a flat flagstone, tile, or similar surface to prevent accidental substrate ingestion. Never feed meat, insects, dog food, or cat food — these high-protein foods cause shell abnormalities and kidney disease. Avoid pellets with artificial colors.
Adults: The majority of the diet should be grasses and edible plants — providing access to grassy grazing areas is the easiest approach. The enclosure should have a mix of Bermuda grass, rye, and fescue. Prickly pear cactus pads, mulberry and hibiscus leaves, and other browse provide micronutrients that salad mixes lack. Leafy greens, edible flowers, small amounts of vegetables, and fruit can be offered as supplements but should be limited to 2–3 days per week. Tortoise pellets (Mazuri or Zoo Med Grassland Tortoise) can be offered weekly or less. A list of edible plants is available on our website.
Hatchlings: Feed a mixture of dark leafy greens with grasses and grass hay daily. Zoo Med Grassland Tortoise Diet pellets soaked in water can also be offered. Fruits should be occasional treats only. Prepare a week’s worth of salad, refrigerate, and offer a small amount daily — there should be a little left over each night to ensure adequate intake. Soak hatchlings in shallow warm water (chin-depth) for 15–30 minutes once weekly while housed indoors.
Juvenile tortoises require equal amounts of plants and grasses. Adding dichondra or clover to the grass mix is a good way to provide variety.
Supplementation:
- Calcium carbonate (without D3) — e.g., Zoo Med ReptiCal — sprinkled on food 2–3 times weekly
- Multivitamin — e.g., Zoo Med Reptivite — once weekly. If housed indoors, use Reptivite with D3
Wellness & Preventive Care
We recommend an annual fecal exam and wellness checkup. Seek veterinary care promptly if your tortoise is lethargic, not eating or growing well, has nasal discharge or difficulty breathing, has puffy or discharging eyes, a soft shell, mobility issues, or has been attacked by another animal.
