The African Spurred tortoise and threats of extinction.

The African spurred tortoise is one of Nigeria’s most endangered species.It is vigorously hunted and used for several cultural and commercial purposes. A few surviving ones are preserved in protected areas such as the national parks and zoos .

According to an ARKive report, The African spurred tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata) is the largest tortoise of the African mainland, and is surpassed in size only by the giant island species from Aldabra and Galápagos . This desert-dwelling tortoise is well camouflaged by its overall sandy coloration, having thick golden to yellow-brown skin and a brownish carapace . The African spurred tortoise has a broad, oval carapace which displays prominent serrations at the front and back margins and conspicuous growth rings on each scute, which become particularly marked with age . Large, overlapping scales cover the front surface of the forelimbs, while the hind surface of the thigh bears two or three large conical spurs, from which the species earns its name. African spurred tortoise populations have declined rapidly in the face of habitat loss, particularly in Mali, Chad, Niger and Ethiopia, largely as a result of urbanisation, overgrazing by domestic livestock and desertification. Several ethnic groups in the Sahel, especially nomadic tribes, eat the African spurred tortoise. The already vulnerable position of the species has been compounded in recent years by an increase in capture for international trade, as pets and for body parts reportedly used to make longevity potions in Japan.  It is primarily juvenile African spurred tortoises that are captured for trade and, as this species takes 15 years to reach maturity, there is grave concern that generations in the wild may be unable to renew themselves, resulting in extinction of local population.