African spurred turtle

Description

Due to its size, it is the third largest terrestrial turtle in the world and the largest of the continental ones. The male is much bigger than the female. The back-plate is light brown in colour that darkens on the sides of the plates. The skin is a light brown and the legs are protected by very marked scales.

Ethology

Before mating, the male hits and corners the female to demonstrate its dominance. The female builds the nest underground and lays 10-30 eggs in each lay. The incubation lasts an average of 129 days. They live in burrows, which provide them with vital shelter. The difference in temperature inside and outside the burrow can be of 15º, and thus the burrows serve as shelter when temperatures reach 40º at midday. They also use the burrows to hide from their predators. 

Interesting facts

This turtle is classified as endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to desertification, the use of its meat for food locally and the use of its parts in traditional medicine.