It can live from 50 to 80 years. It is listed as a threatened species. This tortoise spends most of its life underground.
Adults can survive for about a year without water.
They produce a variety of sounds, including hisses and grunts. When in danger, tortoises can withdraw their head, legs, and tail into the shell. The flattened fore limbs are armored, muscular and used for burrowing. The rear limbs are column-like. When males fight other males, they use the gular horn to overturn an opponent.