African spur-thighed tortoise
Centrochelys sulcata

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The largest tortoise in continental Africa. Head and neck:
Beak weakly hooked, edge of jaws strongly dentate; prefrontal scales large, usually divided longitudinally; frontal scaleusually large, rarely broken up; remaining upper head scales small, irregular; head is uniform yellow

Body: Carapace - uniform light to yellowish brown; seams may be dark brown; flattened dorsally, sides descending abruptly, deeply notched in nuchal region, anteriror and posterior margins serrated; posterior margins upturned; nuchal scute usually absent; vetebrals broader than long; 2nd, 3rd, and 5th much broader than long, broader than pleurals; four pleural/lateral scutes, rarely five; 11 marginal scutes on each side; supracaudal usually undivided.

Plastron - well-developed with deep anal notch; a pair of gulars, deeply forked in males; pectorals very narrow; hind lobe deeply notched to the back, angular or crescent-shaped; Posterior half of plastron deeply concave in adult males; uniform pale yellow in color.

Limbs and tail:
Forelimb anteriorly with large unequal, juxtaposed scales, forming 3-6 longitudinal and 6-7 transverse series from elbow to outer of five claws; posterior side of thigh with 2-3 large conical turbercles; heel with large, conical, spur-like, bony tubercles; claws four; limbs are uniform light brown to yellowish brown.

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