Sulcata Or Aldabra? Which Should I Get?

 

 

 Can I Keep Them Together?

    The answer to this question is no. It is never a good idea to keep tortoises of different species together, as they have different living requirements. In the case of Sulcata tortoises they should not be kept with other breeds, as there is a very strong risk of injury or even death to the other tortoise. They are not very tolerant of intruders, particularly with an Alpha male Sulcata who has reached sexual maturity and can be very territorial.

 

   If you are lucky enough to be able to have both a Sulcata and an Aldabra, they will need to be kept separate with sturdy, size appropriate, fencing between them. If a hyped up male Sulcata got in with your Aldabra then it can cause very serious damage and there is a high risk it could kill it. We cannot stress enough how much consideration you need to think about this when you are setting up your accommodation, it only takes a minute to cause life changing injuries.

 

   They are not put off by a larger animal either. One of our Sulcata's sneaked into the Aldabra pen and was prepared to take on a big Aldabra male which was more than triple his size.

 

   If you had youngsters then you could house them together as a temporary emergency measure. However, once the Sulcata’s hormones kick in then you are risking potentially serious damage to the Aldabra and it really isn’t worth it.

 

   When Sulcata tortoises are young they get on fine as a group and you can keep a mixed group together without issue. However, Sulcata males reach maturity at about 14 inches, and that is when the fun begins. They will then begin to get more confrontational with other tortoises in their pen, especially the boys. If you are lucky enough to have two females then you can still keep them together they seem to tolerate each other OK, but if you have two boys then you will need to separate them when you are not around to supervise. i.e. if you work during the day and they are in an outdoor enclosure. You will need to divide it, you don’t want to risk them having a fight and one of them being injured or turned onto its back when you are not there to help or you could come home to a dead tortoise.

 

   We have two groups of Aldabra- the main group and a second one that is just two diddies, who have their own size appropriate pen, when they get a bit bigger they will go in with the rest of them, we just don’t want to spend hours now  looking for them in the long grass.

 

   In contrast, we have 5 groups of Sulcata and we hope to be able to put some of the younger ones into the main pens but we could never have less than 3 groups due to their personalities.

 

Who Gets Bigger?

   Aldabras are definitely the bigger animals and will reach about 45 stone. However, an adult male Sulcata will be around 10/12 stone, which is a much more manageable size for many people, whilst still being an impressive looking tortoise.

 

 

 

Sulcata on the left, Aldabra on the right.

The Aldabra will get about a third bigger than he is now, the Sulcata is about full grown.

 

Which Looks Nicer?

   It is a matter of personal preference. They are very different colour wise, Aldabras are mainly a grey colour, like a big rock on legs, whilst Sulcata’s are a varying shade of brown colour- they can remind you of conkers, and some people much prefer their colouring. They are both nice looking animals.

 

   Sulcata who are kept indoors and spend more time under heat lamps will be a much darker colour. Their shells go paler as they spend time under natural sunlight.

 

Are They Both Crepuscular?

   Yes, both species are more active in the early morning and early evening. This means on a hot day it can be more difficult to get them to go back to bed, as they have wasted the hot hours of the day sleeping and now they have cooler temperatures they want to eat and forage.

 

Who Is More Active?

   It is difficult to say but probably the Sulcata. Aldabra seem to have a plan in mind for the day and they get up and wander off to an area of the pen they want to explore and spend most of the day in that area, mainly eating and then they head back to bed. They can be very focused and spend hours just eating. They swing their head in an arc in front of themselves and eat all they can reach and then take a step forwards and swing their head back the opposite way in the arc. by the time they have finished eating you can definitely see where they have been, its like they are trying to form their own crop circles! They can’t be bothered to move far if there is food available .

 

   In contrast the Sulcata wander out of the house and go where the mood takes them. Different animals have different preferences for areas of the pen but they can take a roundabout path to get them there. They are much more likely to eat on the move. It’s more of a quick pit stop at the services rather than a sit down three course meal.

 

   The Sulcata will definitely walk more, they can cover miles in a day and are always looking for the next adventure, over the hill, so to speak. They patrol the fence lines, looking for a way out, even when they have plenty of space. They will also look for other males to fight against, which is not something the Aldabras do.

 

   However when it gets hot some Sulcata will dig a hole or find some shade and sleep the day away. If they are down a hole they can remain there for a day or two, until they feel that the temperature has dropped sufficiently for them to emerge once more. These holes can been deep, you certainly can’t just reach in and pull them out, so unless you are going to physically dig them out they have to remain there until they are ready to re-emerge.

 

   Aldabras seem to have the mindset that they want to go in that direction, so they head in that direction. they believe that if their head can get through then the rest of their body should be able to follow. So, you do tend to get things accidentally knocked down or turned over, because of their size they have strength to do this easily but it is not always with malicious intent.

 

   Sulcata are more determined and will bash their way through something, they are more eager to find out what's on the other side of the fence and have the strength to get there. Alternately they will pace up and down until they see a gap they can squeeze through, so if you leave the gate open then they are through like a shot. They are much more the armoured tanks of the tortoise world and of the two they are probably the most likely to cause deliberate damage, so that is something that you need to factor into their care regime.

 

Who Is More Friendly?

   Sulcata can be very friendly tortoises, they will follow you around, some will respond to your tone of voice and you can hand feed them.

 

   However, if either group of them are feeling grumpy or you don’t get out of the way fast enough when they are coming through then they can do damage to you shins with their front fork Gulars, these are the v shaped, fork looking, pieces of shell beneath their head, which are used by the Sulcata as weapons for fighting each other. The males have bigger forks than the females and they are a lot bigger than Aldabras have. Even with a glancing blow it does hurt and may well take the skin off, even through your trousers! For your own health and safety you need to take care around them, they might ‘only be a tortoise’ but they can still be a dangerous animal.

 

   I am not trying to scare people that these are the ‘devil incarnate’- they aren’t, both species can be very personable animals but they are getting up close to a vulnerable part of your body, feet and ankles are not the most robust areas, so you need to be alert if you don’t want accidental pain. They are coming through and if your in their way then that is your problem, you are the one who is going to hurt- not them!

 

   During breeding season the Sulcata males confrontations are more violent and frequent but even outside breeding season a larger animal will go around flipping his pen mates over onto their back just out of boredom and because he can. Our biggest Sulcata did that the other day. Flipped three other males over one after the other, just for the fun of it and then went back to eating grass with no further aggression towards them. All you could see was a load of feet waiving frantically in the air!

 

   Aldabras too like to interact with people, they are naturally curious animals so they will show and interest in your arrival and if you have anything for them like a treat. They enjoy physical touch and stroking their neck causes them to finch which is when they rise up tall on all four of their legs with their heads right out. You would probably usually describe an Aldabra as placid whereas a Sulcata is more boisterous but it can depend on the individual animals temperament, those terms can apply to either species.

 

   With an Aldabra you are more likely to get hurt from them standing on your foot, they are very heavy animals even when they are juveniles. They have very robust claws on their feet and it can rather feel like your mother or partner standing on your foot with their full weight, whilst wearing a pair of stilettos and there is not a lot you can do about it till the tortoise moves, as you are often in the wrong position to try to actively lift the animal off.

 

Which One Is Easier To Buy?

   A Sulcata a is much more readily available than an Aldabra and neither species require an A10 certificate. There are Sulcata breeders in this country whereas all of the young Aldabra have to be imported from the Seychelles. It is not often that an Aldabra comes up for resale as owners have given much thought to getting such an animal and even rarer for a larger sub adult Aldabra to come onto the market in this country. Unfortunately, there are a lot of Sulcata that end up at rescue centres because people have underestimated just what it takes to look after one of them and the actual realities of how big they will get or how unfriendly they can be towards each other, and they cannot afford to run two set ups to keep them.

 

   If you want a big tortoise then considering rehoming one of these Sulcata would be a good option for you. It would mean that you would get a larger animal quicker, rather than waiting for a baby to grow up. It means you can have your giant tortoise whilst you are physically able to look after it easier.

 

Are They Herbivores?

   The natural diet for a Sulcata is different types of grasses. succulents and cactus pads to get moisture. Diet should be high in fibre and low in protein as it can create uneven growth if the tortoise grows too fast. This is known as metabolic bone disease.

 

   Life in their home environment is harsh so if they come across the dead carcass of a goat they could feast on it if they were hungry and if they live near a human settlement they have also been seen to feed on rubbish.

 

   It is a similar situation for the Aldabra tortoise. They eat most plants and grasses that they can find but they do prefer some over others. They are described as opportunistic omnivores and will also feed on dead fish if they are washed ashore and even the flesh of their fallen comrades, there is no point in letting food go to waste in a harsh environment. They can also suffer with MBD.

 

   For both species they will need a lot of food, whether you have a garden big enough to feed them or if you intend to buy in extra food which can be expensive, time consuming and you also need to have somewhere safe to store it all. These are not animals that you could successfully keep, long term, in a traditional semi’s back garden.

  

Do Both Species Dig And Burrow?

   It tends to be just the Sulcata that dig the burrows to escape the heat, and they are very good at digging these tunnels, potentially going down 10ft. It is worth their effort though because underground temperature can differ up to 10 degrees lower, compared to above ground. Unfortunately they like to dig at the edges of the fence line so it is quite possible they will burrow under next doors garden too. Aldabra prefer to sit in water to keep cool and if you have left a tap dripping and it creates mud they are in heaven- not so much your garden by the time they have finished, it can look more like the Battle of the Somme!

 

Who Would Win In A Tug Of War?

   Aldabra vs Sulcata of similar physical size, probably Sulcata, they have a lot of muscle strength in their legs, especially if they are diggers. The Aldabra would be too lazy to move but they would be naturally heavier, because of their extra body weight, so they would have an advantage. The problem would be finding some way of fastening the harness to them!

 

   Man vs Aldabra (an older juvenile+). Definately Aldabra. We know this for a fact because the other day Adrian got into a tug of war with Ciara, she’s the smallest of the three big girls- and lost. He was literally dragged along behind her, they are very strong and determined animals. This was not just some token battle, we really needed her to move a certain way but she was not being cooperative and she won the day!

 

Where Do They Come From?

   Aldabras come from the Aldabra Atoll , an Island in the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, where they all live in one big group, so are much more tolerant of each others presence, mainly because there is no where to go to get away from each other. Aldabra has a wet season and a dry season so they enjoy being in the rain.

 

   In contrast Sulcata tortoises are a mainland species from Northern Africa, which is much drier and more arid area of the world. There are two distinct populations, one to the west and one to the east. They inhabit the Sahara dessert as well as savanna, grasslands and thorn scrub land, which can be hostile environments to survive in. They can be found in Senegal, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Chad, Mauritania, Eritrea, Mali, and Ethiopia.

 

   The only time Sulcata really mix together is at breeding time, where the males test their strengths against each other for breeding rights and so are much happier to be kept as a solo pet.

 

 

 

Do They Have Predators?

   Man is the greatest predator for both species. Aldabras used to be taken as a food source for of fashioned sailing and whaling ships. Thankfully, Aldabra now has UNESCO status to protect it.

 

   The young on Aldabra would be vulnerable to introduced species such as rats and cats but the authorities are working to slowly eradicate these animals. the other threat to the eggs and young is crabs coming from the sea. Once they are juvenile or adult there are no natural predators on Aldabra and the giant tortoise is actually top of the food chain there.

 

   Sulcata are not so lucky and they are still hunted both for food and just as target practice. This has made levels of these wild tortoises plummet over more recent years and they are now also a vulnerable species. It is believed that there are no natural predators in the wild who would take on a healthy animal.

 

Are They An Endangered Species?

   No, only the Galapagos Giant Tortoise is classed as endangered. The Sulcata and Aldabra tortoises are both listed as vulnerable but the Sulcata is under severe threat of crossing over the line to endangered. It is believed that they exist in just over 16% of the area where they were previously found, which is a rapid decline for the species.

 

   They have to compete with livestock for food, and wildfires that destroy large portions of grassland as well as killing the animals themselves. Poaching to meet the pet trade demands also affect them detrimentally. It is believed that 9000 Sulcata were taken from the wild for the pet trade. Climate change is also affecting them and the predators who hunt their eggs.

 

   Aldabra Atoll is more stringently protected by the law and its location in the world makes it difficult to smuggle the animals from.  Although they were severely poached and plundered in the past, the population of wild tortoises there seems stable and self sustaining, at the moment. Their greatest vulnerability now is a serious weather event.

 

Conservation

   Seychelles Island Foundation is working hard to protect Aldabra and its tortoise residents, they have recently enlarges the marine protection zone around the island and the greatest threat to the self sustaining population is probably climate change affecting sea levels because the island is only metres above sea level. Other environmental threats are disasters like an oil spill.

 

   Captive bred Aldabra are being used, increasingly, to rewild islands in the Seychelles region, to replace extinct giant tortoises and to resurrect degraded island ecosystems. However, these tortoises are all coming from the same captive groups so they are all genetically related, which could cause issues in the future.

 

   The main method for conservation regarding the Sulcata has been reintroduction programmes, mainly in Ferlo and Senegal. The reintroduced tortoises have a survival rate of about 80%, so it seems they easily manage to adapt back to the native wild environment from being bred in captivity. This does not mean that you should smuggle your unwanted Sulcata out there, when you go on holiday, and abandon it back in the wild!

 

   These reintroduced animals are provided from protected National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. Most countries are able to successfully breed the Sulcata tortoise and it is now believed that there are more Sulcata or African Spurred tortoises living in captivity than can be found out in the wild.

 

Why Are You Telling Us To Only Keep One Sulcata When You Clearly Have More?

   It is true that we have more that one Sulcata, currently we run 5 Sulcata setups for our groups. We are not trying to dictate to you what you should and should not do, just give you the benefit of our experience, and that experience says that for most people one Sulcata is more than enough.

 

   You can of course have as many Sulcata tortoise as your home environment can sustain. It all depends greatly on what your home life set up is like. More than one sulcata in a group will require more regular welfare checks throughout the day, to make sure they haven’t done anything stupid. You cannot just leave them together all day and hope for the best, maybe they will be fine but if they aren't, then someone needs to be there to sperate them or mop up the blood. If the household are all out at work, and school, during the day, then this could be a problem for you.

 

   We are fortunate that there is always someone here to keep an eye on them and that they have plenty of space to get away from each other. The Sulcata groups actually have more room than the Aldabras do, so we are talking acreage. If you have two or three, fifteen year old, males confined to an ordinary sized garden then tensions are going to escalate between them, especially if there is a female in the mix. Some of it will just be pushing and shoving- teenage posturing, but it can escalate to bloody battles- like rivals at a football match! Leg injuries are common. Many times it is like you being punched in the arm and it going dead for a while, and luckily the tortoise recovers with rest but there is a risk it could be more serious and you could be left with a partially paralised animal, if the attack is allowed to be sustained.

 

   Fighting does not happen all through the year but it is more prevelent in the summer and warm weather. At night time they all settle calmly in their house together, as if nothing had happened, but during the day they could have spent hours stalking each other, looking for trouble.

 

   If you have an appropriate set up for them, then you can keep them in a group. It is just a fact that most people do not want the extra stress of fighting tortoises, so we advise them not to take on two animals when there is a strong chance they are going to want to be looking to rehome one in the future. This is a shame because the tortoise has done nothing wrong, it is just exhibiting natural behaviour. Theirs is a harsh and sometimes violent life, in the wild, and if we cannot cope with it, then don’t put yourself in the position to experience it. Enjoy having your one tortoise, it will be fine living alone.

 

   You cannot deny that it is a nice sight to see a group of Sulcata peacefully munching the grass, its like have dinosaurs roaming your back garden. However, do you and your family want the extra stress of being on guard for them doing something silly to each other? The choice is yours.

 

 

Which Would You Recommend?

   It is very hard to choose something like that, it is a bit like asking someone which child is their favourite. They both have plus points and downsides. It basically comes down to your personal preference, your housing situation and inevitably your financial situation. Do not make a hasty decision, as neither species hibernate they will have a big impact on your life. Make sure getting a tortoise this size is the right decision for both you and your family both now and in the future. Talk it over with your family because it should not just be your decision, it may be classed as your tortoise but you will definately and inevitably need their help and support to look after it, at some stage.

 

 

 

Sulcata new born hatchling and the female tortoise who laid the eggs

 

Sulcata plus points:

• Nice looking tortoise.
• They are cute babies.
• Reaches an impressive size.
• Can be very friendly and you can hand feed them.
• Will fit in an ordinary sized shed when fully grown.
• One will fit well in an above average sized garden.
• Most people who decide to take on a giant tortoise could cope with one animal.
• If you have thought about what you are taking on and have the right set up in place they are not a majorly problem animal to keep. If you haven’t then you will have issues- They need more supervision than most tortoises.
• They are easier to obtain.
• They are cheaper to buy.
• You can adopt an older tortoise from a rescue centre, or more easily buy one, without having to wait for a baby animal to grow up, so you get your giant tortoise quicker.
• They wont mind their pen being uneven and not pristine grass, they like weeds to eat, but you need to consider being able to move them around by wheelbarrow.
• They do get heavy but two able bodied people should be able to lift an adult between them.
• Their poo makes good compost for the flowers.
• Sulcata will breed in this country, so you could have hatchlings of your own.
• They are solitary animals, most of the time, in the wild, so happy to live alone.
• You can have a modern day dinasaur wandering around your garden.

 

Sulcata bad points

• They can be prone to respiratory infections.
• It takes a lot of money to keep them warm over winter.
• They can be boisterous.
• You will need to reinforce your fence lines.
• They can dig some very big holes and tunnels, although not all animals dig.
• As a novice keeper you should not keep more than one animal together or you will increase your problems.
• If you get their diet wrong they can be prone to pyramid of their shell and metabolic bone disease.
• You need to provide extra UVB lights which can be expensive to buy, run and replace.
• They can eat a lot and walk a long way around the garden every day so you need to be sure you have enough space to keep it.
• They can knock things over in your garden, so if you have valuable statues or prize winning flowers you need to remove them or fence them off to keep them safe.
• They have a tendency to pull their legs into their shell when you pick them up and squash your finger tips- it hurts- a lot!. There is not really much scope for avoiding this as there are only a few places you can put your hands to safely lift the animal.
• You will initially need to spend quite a lot on insulating a house for them and kitting it out with heating and appropriate lighting. But good insulation is well worth the effort and expense- it will save you money in the long run.
• They produce a lot of poo which attracts flies.
• If you do get more than one animal you could end up having to run two set ups, so doubling your expenses, if you find you have to separate them.
• They are noisy when they are mating.
• If they fight they can kill each other, or at least injure each other.
• You need a specialist exotics vet. You may need to travel to get there. Vet treatment is expensive.
• They don’t eat the grass in nice neat stripes, so you may still have to get the lawnmower out.
• You will need to base your routine around theirs, they will become a big part of your life.
• You will have difficulties finding someone to look after them if you want to go on holiday or in an emergency- you can’t exactly put them in kennels!
• There will need to be someone around during the day to do regular welfare checks, especially if you have more than one Sulcata.
• You need to keep your other animals out of the tortoise pen, unsupervised.
• You need to take precautions to stop them from either escaping or being stolen.
• You cant keep a Sulcata with another smaller breed tortoise, as it is likely to be injured by the Sulcata.
• They are more armoured tortoises than Aldabras and if they catch your shin bones with their Gulars- the bone forks beneath their chin it hurts- can make you bleed if it takes the skin off. It would probably not be intentional but if they are coming through then you need to get out of their way!
• They could outlive your children.
• Storing animal feed can attract rats and mice, which can be difficult to get rid of.
• You are very likely to sustain various injuries, to differing degrees, because of them.

 

 

Aldabra Plus Points

• Nice looking tortoise.
• They are cute babies.
• Reaches a huge size when full grown males can be over 250kg, even the smaller females will be over 100kg.
• Can be very friendly, they are curious animals and like to interact with you.
• Their poo makes good compost for the flowers.
• They are very calm animals, it is therapeutic to sit quietly with them.
• As a general rule they are not excessively boisterous, some animals can be more stroppy than others but that is just down to individual personality.
• They are a unique animal to see grazing your land.
• There are very few other people in the country with the privilege to own or work with them on a daily basis. By having one, you would be joining a very exclusive club.
• There is something special about them.

  

 

There is something unique about an Aldabra

 

 

Aldabra Bad Points

• Wont fit in an ordinary sized shed when sub adult to fully grown, you will probably need to purpose build their accommodation and reinforce it, which can get expensive.
• Need to ensure you have good access around your property and their pen, both now and for in the future when the tortoise is a lot bigger.
• A group wont fit well in just an above average sized garden- you are going to need acreage, as they get older.
• Like to live in a group, so ideally you would need at least one friend for it.
• They are not easy to obtain, you may need to import one, which will involve paperwork and expense.
• They are not cheap to buy.
• Adults available for resale are very rare, there are not many of them in the country, in the first place. A lot of Aldabras in this country are around 10 years old and under.
• You are likely only to get a baby and will have a long wait for it to get to be a big animal.
• You may not live to see it fully grown.
• They could outlive your great grandchildren!
• Because they live so long, you need to consider who you would pass it onto after you have died, your children might not be in a position to house a large tortoise that wont fit through an ordinary sized door,
• When they get to large juveniles they are very heavy to move easily. At the same size as an adult Sulcata, Aldabras will be about a third heavier because of their domed shell. Two ordinary people will struggle to pick it up. It certainly wont go in a wheelbarrow. Older animals will need 3-5 fit people to pick them up or the use of machinery.
• YOU CANNOT UNDERESTIMATE HOW HEAVY THEY WILL GET.
• You would need equipment to move them, which means good access in their pen and could be expensive to buy and you would need space to store it all.
• It takes a lot of money to keep them warm over winter.
• If you get their diet wrong they can be prone to pyramiding of their shell and metabolic bone disease.
• You need to provide extra UVB lights which can be expensive to buy, run and replace.
• They can eat a lot so you need to be sure you have enough space to keep it.
• They can knock things over in your garden so if you have valuable statues or prize winning flowers you need to remove them or fence them off to keep them safe.
• They have a tendency to pull their legs into their shell when you pick them up and squash your finger tips- it hurts- a lot!. There is not really much scope for avoiding this as there are only a few places you can put your hands to safely lift the animal. They can also be uncooperative at having straps put on them so they can be safely hoisted.
• When the big ones accidentally stand on your foot, it is bone crunching!
• You are very likely to sustain various injuries, to differing degrees, because of them.
• You will initially need to spend quite a lot on insulating a house for them and kitting it out with heating and appropriate lighting. Good insulation is deffinately worth it though.
• They produce a lot of poo which attracts flies.
• They are noisy when they are mating.
• You need a specialist exotics vet. You may need to travel to get there. Vet treatment is expensive.
• They don’t eat the grass in nice neat stripes, so you may still have to get the lawnmower out.
• If you leave a tap dripping they will create their own mud wallow and you garden can look like a battlefield!
• They are strong and determined animals, if they don’t want to do it there’s not much you can do to change their minds.
• They can be very uncooperative and you can spend a very very long time (as in literal hours!) trying to coax them back to bed, in the cold or the rain because you can’t physically lift them.
• You will need to base your routine around theirs, they will become a big part of your life. (Both literally and figuratively!)
• You will have difficulties finding someone to look after them if you want to go on holiday or in an emergency. It is quite a responsibility to ask of someone.
• There will need to be someone around during the day to do regular welfare checks on them.
• You need to keep your other animals out of the tortoise pen unsupervised.
• You need to take precautions to stop them from either escaping or being stolen.
• You cant keep a smaller breed tortoise with an Aldabra, not because it would be aggressive towards it, more because of the size discrepancy it would cause unintentional stress and potential injury to the smaller animal.
• Storing animal feed can attract rats and mice which can be difficult to get rid of.

 

 

 

    Honestly, you can make all of the lists that you want, about good and bad points, but the fact is the  'It's what I've always wanted!' will still trump all of it if you get the opportunity to get your giant- you can sort the rest out as it comes. Enjoy your new pet!