They are camouflaged by their overall sandy colour. Their broad, oval carapace has distinct serrations on the anterior and posterior margins and distinctly grooved growth rings on each plate.
They live in hot and dry environments – from the edges of the desert to the dry savannahs. Standing water is only there for a limited time. They are most active at dusk or dawn and usually bask in the morning to raise their body temperature after a cold night. They tend to be very aggressive towards each other, especially males.
Males fight for the opportunity to mate with the female, usually accompanied by loud noises. Approximately 60 days after fertilisation, the female begins to look for a suitable place for laying. In almost two weeks, they usually dig 4-5 nests before they choose an ideal place. The female throws out clay with her limbs as she burrows. When the depression reaches about 60 cm in diameter and a depth of 7-14 cm, the female digs another depression at the back with a depth and diameter of 20 cm. Building such a nest can take up to 5 hours, depending on the hardness of the terrain. The female lays one egg approximately every three minutes. After the eggs have been laid, she burrows the depression again, which can take another hour.
It is the largest African tortoise and the third largest tortoise in the world.
It can dig shelters up to 3 metres deep to hide in during the hottest hours of the day. In most cases, however, the depth is around 0.7 metres.
