Chad: Zakouma NP – African Spurred Tortoise
And yet another new species – African Spurred Tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata). This is a very endangered land tortoise (in fact the largest mainland tortoise in the world!) and seeing one is an invisible luck. They can reach up to 100kg and have large, overlapping scales on their front legs – these are the “spurs” that give them their name. During the heat of the day, they are master excavators. They dig burrows that can be up to 10ft deep to escape the scorching temperatures. These tortoises are incredibly strong and are known as “tanks of the savanna.” They can survive for weeks without a drop of water and when they finally find a water source, they can drink up to 15% of their body weight in a single sitting. In the wild, they typically live 50–70 years, but in protected environments, they are known to reach 100 to 150 years old.
