Sulcata Tortoise Centrochelys sulcata

The third-largest tortoise in the world. That palm-sized hatchling reaches over 70 cm and 50-100 kg, and lives seventy to a hundred years. This page is less a care sheet than an honest warning — very few households can actually keep one.

Advanced Restricted / permit required

⚖️ Legal status · Restricted / permit required

Listed on CITES Appendix II. Keeping one requires lawful origin with traceable captive-breeding documentation and the relevant permits — insist on complete paperwork before purchase. Note additionally that the adult size is far beyond what an ordinary household can accommodate, and both rehoming and resale are extremely difficult. Think this through properly first.

Check another species →

Key parameters

Lifespan
70-100 years — you will need to arrange who inherits it
Adult size
70-83 cm carapace, 50-100 kg as an adult
Diet
Strictly herbivorous, high fibre and low protein. Grasses, timothy hay, mulberry leaves and dandelion. No fruit and no animal protein of any kind
Temperature
Basking spot 35-38 °C, ambient 26-30 °C, not below 18 °C at night
Humidity
40-50% for adults; juveniles need 60-70% or they will pyramid

✅ Suits you if

Keepers with a house and garden or substantial outdoor space, able to commit for decades, who have actually looked up the adult size

🚫 Do not get one if

Apartment dwellers, renters, and anyone buying on the strength of a hatchling photo — by far the most common and least responsible reason people get one

Starter equipment list

Buy all of it before the animal arrives, not after.

Most common beginner mistakes

  1. 1 Being sold on the hatchling — this is the only issue that really matters with sulcatas. Before buying, look up a photo of an adult next to a person
  2. 2 Feeding fruit, vegetables or dog food — high sugar and protein cause pyramiding, stones and kidney failure. It eats grass, and that is all
  3. 3 Planning to keep it indoors for life — an adult's size and activity simply do not fit indoors. This is not a workable plan
  4. 4 Fencing that is not buried deep enough — it will dig underneath, and it will push through barriers that look sturdy
  5. 5 Assuming you can rehome it later — adult sulcatas are almost impossible to place, and rescues are chronically full
  6. 6 Buying an animal of unknown origin — Appendix II species, so this is legal exposure, not a way to save money

Common illnesses

Illness Common cause What you'll see
Pyramiding Low humidity as a juvenile, excess protein, insufficient UVB Scutes rise into a pyramid shape — permanent and irreversible
Metabolic bone disease Inadequate UVB, an expired tube, or low calcium Soft shell, weak limbs, deformed growth
Respiratory infection Insufficient winter heating, wide temperature swings, damp conditions Bubbles at the nostrils, open-mouth breathing, laboured neck extension, reduced appetite
Bladder stones Chronic dehydration, high-oxalate diet, excess protein Straining to pass waste, hind-limb weakness, loss of appetite
Shell rot Lying on persistently damp, soiled bedding Pitting, softening, discharge and an odour on the shell

Frequently asked

How big does a sulcata actually get?

70-83 cm of carapace and 50-100 kg — roughly the weight of an adult human. It is the third-largest tortoise species after the Galápagos and Aldabra giant tortoises. The palm-sized hatchling in the pet shop is five to ten years away from that size.

Can I keep one on a balcony?

As a juvenile, marginally. As an adult, absolutely not. It needs 20 m² or more of outdoor space plus a heated winter shelter. Without a house and garden this species is not for you, and there is no middle ground.

What if I can't keep it any more?

That is exactly the hard part. Adult sulcatas are very difficult to rehome, animal rescues are generally at capacity, and release is both unlawful and fatal for the animal. The decision effectively gets made the moment you buy — so do not start unless you are certain.