African Spurred Tortoise

Geochelone sulcata

All tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises. Tortoises live exclusively on land, from deserts to tropical forests to a backyard in southern California. And tortoises are generally vegetarians, while other turtles are omnivorous. 


This particular tortoise is named Rex, and she was watching the longboard surf competition on the cliffs this morning, see Extra. One article I read said that sulcatas make good pets because of their outgoing and animated personality. I didn’t see any evidence of this, but the owner said Rex knows her name and knows her person and will come when called. It gets a little complicated to keep a sulcata, as individuals can reach more than 200 pounds in weight and 36 inches in length, although that can take twenty years. They are also very active, can burrow beneath walls, and are strong enough to push over a fence, so keep all this in mind before you bring one home, even though they make pretty cute puppies.