Tortoises have a special place in our hearts here at Linton Zoo, you will find many different species in our care, from beautiful little Starred to the mighty Giants!
The African Spurred or Sulcata Giant Tortoises have always featured highly with us, our herd of six breeding adult's average around 40 years old and they are all ex-pets. One has travelled the world with its former owner having been rescued as a hatchling from children using him as a football in Mauritania, Africa.
Their ability to live in a dry and hostile environment has to some extent saved the Sulcata. Man is still their biggest threat to survival, as habitat alteration and collection for food play a major role in their demise. They are also often used for target practice by some army training camps.
Sulcatas are the largest mainland species of Tortoise, a giant weighing up to 95kg and growing up to 90cm long. Tortoises are generally known for their longevity, being some of the longest lived creatures on the planet. There is no way to know the exact age of a tortoise unless you know its hatch date, but one record shows an individual living to 165 years old!
Tortoises are quite pre-historic looking, first appearing around 220 million years ago marching straight past the dinosaurs to today. They have been, and still are, prized for their flesh; bone and shell by humans and many species face extinction due to over exploitation for food. Tortoise shell was widely used in the 1960s and 1970s in the manufacture of items such as combs, sunglasses, guitar picks and ornaments. In 1973, the trade of Tortoise Shell worldwide was banned under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), since this ban a synthetic material has been produced to replicate the style.
The Sulcata is found from the West to the East coast of Central Africa and is currently ranked as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. Fortunately zoological collections have mastered the art of reproduction through captive breeding programmes and can supply Tortoises for re-release should this be necessary.
The range of photographs are a selection showing the whole process from egg laying and harvesting to hatching. These babies don't live in the paddock with their parents as they are not big enough yet, they are cared for in nursery tanks in our reptile house. There are already other zoos setting up the facilities to provide a long term home for some of our youngsters, others will be placed in collections already holding the species across Europe to help breeding genetics, whilst a few will stay here with us. The Sulcata giants have wonderful characters, but a strong enclosure with lots of space for them to graze and dig is necessary in captivity to keep them happy and safe. We wonder what the world will be like in 150 years when these individuals reach old age!
You can meet some of our hatchlings along with their parents on our VIP Behind the scenes tortoise tours, newly introduced as a way of raising funds for a fantastic new Turtle Conservation Project starting in Guyana. Visit our website or Facebook page for more information.
www.lintonzoo.com/Tortoisetours.html
www.facebook.com/pages/Linton-Zoo/143911748952844?sk=app_201143516562748
< Back to the newsAt Linton Zoo emphasis is on conservation and education, while providing an enjoyable family outing. They have a variety of rare and exotic creatures to see ...
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