Spur-thighed tortoise – Moroccan (Testudo graeca marokkensis)

Short answers

Spur-thighed tortoise – Moroccan: How big does the enclosure need to be?

Kept outdoors in summer plus a heatable cold frame or greenhouse, from about 8–10 m² per animal; an indoor enclosure is often needed in winter.

Spur-thighed tortoise – Moroccan: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 22–30 °C (outdoors / cold frame), basking spot 38–42 °C (basking spot under a heat emitter), at night 15–20 °C (night-time drop).

Spur-thighed tortoise – Moroccan: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB essential when kept indoors (Ferguson zone 3, UV index 3–5); outdoors the sun covers it.

Spur-thighed tortoise – Moroccan: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 50–100 years.

Spur-thighed tortoise – Moroccan: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

22–30 °C (outdoors / cold frame)

Night temperature

15–20 °C (night-time drop)

Basking spot

38–42 °C (basking spot under a heat emitter)

Humidity

40–60 % (juveniles need a humid microclimate of 60–80 %)

UVB

UVB essential when kept indoors (Ferguson zone 3, UV index 3–5); outdoors the sun covers it

Enclosure

Minimum size

kept outdoors in summer plus a heatable cold frame or greenhouse, from about 8–10 m² per animal; an indoor enclosure is often needed in winter

Substrate

A garden-soil, sand and loam mix they can dig in; leaf litter or hay

Feeding

Food

Strictly herbivorous: fibre-rich wild herbs and flowers; no fruit and no animal protein; calcium (cuttlebone)

Feeding interval

wild herbs freely available every day, no overfeeding; juveniles daily

Key facts

Adult size

18–22 cm (medium-sized to large)

Life expectancy

50–100 years

Origin

Nordmarokko (beiderseits des Rifgebirges)

Protection status

CITES Appendix II / EU Annex A: an EU certificate (the yellow CITES form with photo documentation), plus registration and marking duties

Brumation

No real long winter dormancy – only a mild cool winter rest (~10–15 °C); in the hot summer a summer rest or aestivation (about June to September). Animals from higher altitudes may need a short cold spell (this is disputed). There is no need to overwinter them in a fridge

Cohabitation

Keep them singly. A group only as one male with several females and plenty of space; never two males

Notes

The taxonomy is disputed (sometimes treated as a synonym or a population). A North African: NO forced winter dormancy as with Turkish animals – a common and dangerous keeping mistake. Keep it warm and dry, and allow a summer rest. Check the origin.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Egyptian tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni) – Intermediate to expert
• Marginated tortoise (Testudo marginata) – Beginner to intermediate
• Hermann's tortoise – Dalmatian (Testudo hermanni hercegovinensis) – Beginner
• Hermann's tortoise – eastern (Testudo hermanni boettgeri) – Beginner
• Hermann's tortoise – western (Testudo hermanni hermanni) – Beginner to intermediate
• Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni) – Beginner
• Spur-thighed tortoise – Armenian (Testudo graeca armeniaca) – Intermediate
• Spur-thighed tortoise – Golan (Testudo graeca terrestris) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Spur-thighed tortoise – Moroccan (Testudo graeca marokkensis) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (kept outdoors in summer plus a heatable cold frame or greenhouse, from about 8–10 m² per animal; an indoor enclosure is often needed in winter), substrate (A garden-soil, sand and loam mix they can dig in; leaf litter or hay), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.