This tortoise ranks third in size behind the giant tortoises of Galápagos and Seychelles. It inhabits the driest and hottest areas of the African savanna and is an excellent excavator, capable of making deep burrows exceeding 20 meters in length to escape the daytime heat.

Males are capable of traveling distances of more than 100 km in search of females. They are larger than the females and possess 2 to 3 spurs on their hind legs, a characteristic that gives this species its name.

The laying season spans from October to May, with females depositing 10 to 35 eggs. Incubation generally lasts between 100 and 120 days if the temperature is around 30 °C.

It is fundamentally vegetarian, feeding primarily on grass and shrub leaves.