The African Spurred Tortoise in Captivity

Without a doubt, African spurred tortoises, Geochelone sulcata, have quickly become America's most popular tortoise. Being extremely hardy, readily available, and irresistibly cute as hatchlings, more sulcatas are being sold than ever before. Unfortunately, good, sound information on their care and breeding was until recently hard to come by. Cursory Internet searches turned up nothing but rants and raves that dismissed and contradicted other sources. I believe this was mainly due to the fact that sulcatas thrived under sub-optimal conditions long enough to be bred in captivity. As a result, thousands of babies were being produced by well-meaning breeders, who in fact, had little natural history to go on. This has changed.

The recent surge in tortoise popularity has prompted many breeders and herpetologists to look more closely at the natural history and behavior of many tortoises that have been popular in the pet trade for years. This emphasis on re-creating natural temperature and light cycles, as well as detailed natural diet information, has propelled tortoise keeping from an experiment to an art.

The book I read this month for review here, is, in my opinion, one of the most important reptile care books I have seen. For the first time, an entire book, available to the general public, openly and candidly discusses the pros and cons of owning sulcata tortoises. Adult sulcatas often exceed 100 pounds in weight. Unfortunately many sulcata owners are unaware of the true ramifications of owning such a huge animal. This book spells it out, in black and white, how big they get, and what is involved in keeping them healthy and happy at every life stage. It is my sincere hope that potential tortoise owners will read this book and think carefully before taking home a baby sulcata.

Now, to the book itself. Obviously, I highly recommend it. It has all of the information one needs to raise a baby sulcata from hatchling through breeding size adult. The information contained in the book is detailed and accurate, yet easy for a first time reptile owner to absorb. There are many differing opinions on many aspects of reptile keeping. Tortoise care is no exception. I am sure that there are people who will disagree with the information presented in this book. Or perhaps they remember reading something different on the Internet or in an outdated book. The reality is this, if you follow the instructions as outlined by Mr. Gurley, you will not fail. You will end up with a healthy, happy tortoise.

Chapters include; Choosing a Tortoise, Natural History, Indoor Enclosures, Outdoor Enclosures, Anatomy, Feeding, Breeding, Egg-laying and Incubation, and Health. Of particular interest is the chapter containing interviews with a handful of successful sulcata breeders from around the country. In each interview, the breeder shares information about how they keep their animals in various parts of the country.

Additionally, the book is full of color photos, and an easy to reference list of good sulcata foods. It is soft-cover, 80 pages, and only $9.99 at LLLReptile.com. If you have a sulcata, want a sulcata, or know somebody with a sulcata, you must pick up a copy today.