Sulcata tortoises are native to the Sahara Desert and are accustomed to temperatures as hot as 105 degrees but they prefer temperatures between 70-90 degrees. They are the third largest land tortoise found in the world. Males have an average mass of about 178 pounds and are about 2 1/2 feet long and 19 inches wide. In captivity, they can live to be 100 years old. Sulcata tortoises are herbivores and their diet consists mostly of vegetables, grasses, and fruits. They do not drink standing water, instead they absorb it through consumption of vegetables and during their weekly baths.
If it's a nice, hot day, you may catch Sheldon outside here. If not, he's generally hanging out in the corner of his home under his heat lamp or getting himself stuck under a step ladder, or in the bathroom or maybe he's tearing up some bags of dog food! Sheldon does also enjoy going on field trips to local schools with his friends Spartacus, the 7 ft redtail boa and Barlow, the blue and gold macaw.