Sheldon, our class pet

Say Hello to Sheldon our class pet.  Sheldon or Shelly came to live with us 5 years ago.   When he first lived with our son he was this big.  He was so cute and could fit in the palm of his hand.

He lived in a tank and we kept him in the house for 4 years.  But this last summer he grew a lot.... like 8 pounds worth!  So we needed to build him a habitat in our small greenhouse.  He also has an outside habitat with grass so he can graze and get some exercise.

When the school closed because of COVID 19 we needed to find somewhere to house the 20 trays of seedlings we planted for the school.  Sheldon has been very gracious in sharing his greenhouse with our seedlings from the school garden program.  

It helps that I toss him lettuce because he basically eats anything green and LOVES strawberries. 

So say Hi to our class pet Sheldon.  

Sheldon says, feel free to ask questions.  He loves visitors, especially if they bring strawberries.

Yes he really is THAT big.

The African spurred tortoise, also called the sulcata tortoise, is a species of tortoise, which inhabits the southern edge of the Sahara desert, in Africa. It is the third-largest species of tortoise in the world, the largest species of mainland tortoise, and the only extant species in the genus Centrochelys. Wikipedia

Mass: 70 – 100 lbs (Adult)

Scientific name: Centrochelys sulcata

Conservation status: Vulnerable Encyclopedia of Life

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Lifespan: Most indications are that sulcata tortoises can live more than 70 years.