Meet Our Resident
Tortilla, Burpee’s Sulcata Tortoise is one of the museum’s largest land reptiles, with impressive shell ridges and a slow, purposeful gait. Her favorite when outside grazing is dandelions! We are Tortilla’s 3rd home, proof that these large reptiles do not make great house guests. She likes to break drywall, and has no problem knocking over heavy bins.  While her playful antics are just fine in her personal condo at Burpee, most homeowners are not fit for this type of pet!

Connections to the Museum
This tortoise embodies endurance and environmental adaptation—living proof of how reptiles thrive in extreme environments. Its desert ecology links directly to Burpee’s paleontological displays of Cretaceous arid life, offering parallels between ancient and modern ecosystems.

Natural History & Behavior
Sulcatas dig extensive burrows to escape heat and conserve moisture. They are diurnal and herbivorous, feeding on fibrous plants. In their native range, they are vital ecosystem engineers, aerating soil and creating shelters used by other species.

Evolutionary Connections
Tortoises represent one of the oldest reptile lineages, with ancestors in the late Cretaceous. Their domed shells and sturdy limbs show little change since early testudines—exemplifying evolutionary success through stability.

Wild Habitat & Distribution
Native to the Sahel region of Africa, from Chad and Sudan to Senegal.

Conservation & Status
Threatened by habitat loss and capture for the pet trade. Burpee’s captive-bred individual demonstrates responsible animal care and introduces visitors to the global importance of arid-land conservation.