Africa Wild

Eastern Hinged-back Tortoise Kinixys zombensis
Family: Testudinidae

© RogerFraser

© RogerFraser
uMkhuze, KwaZulu-Natal

Description
A medium-sized tortoise. The beak is unicuspid and not serrated. Forelimbs with five digits, hindlimbs have four digits. The carapace is domed with sloping sides and flattened dorsally with broad black radial patterns. As this species ages, it tends to develop a lumpy or pyramided appearance. The color patterns can vary between individuals from brown to yellow. The plastron is very dark in juveniles and lightens in color with age. Front lobe of the plastron is truncated and extends to or projects beyond carapace; uniform light color or black splashes radiating outward. The hinge is well developed, between 7th and 8th marginal shield.

Size
Males: 206 mm. Females: 217 mm.

Geographic distribution
East African coastal plain from Tanzania to Zululand. It is known to occur in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Range extends into the far northeastern region of the KwaZulu-Natal Province and specimens have been reported to occur in St. Lucia Park.

Habitat
Moist savannah woodlands, coastal grasslands, and dune forest edge.

Behaviour
These tortoises tend to be crepuscular and are most active in the early morning or late afternoon during the coolest times of the day. Activity peaks for these species during the wet season while they are known to aestivate during the dry season using animal burrows, dead logs, and leaf litter.

Diet
A varied diet of plant matter, fungi, invertebrates, and these tortoises are also known to feed on small animal carcasses when encountered.

Reproduction
Mating is observed from November to April. Multiple clutches are laid with 2 to 10 eggs in each clutch. Incubation times for individuals are typically 90-110 days.

Links: The Conservation Biology of Tortoises. Ian Richard Swingland, Michael W. Klemens, IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group; Field Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa. William R. Branch

Greater Padloper, Greater Dwarf Tortoise Homopus femoralis
Family: Testudinidae

© PJL
Mountain Zebra National Park

Description
A small tortoise but nonetheless still the largest padloper. The shell is not hinged and has a small nuchal scale and paired gulars, and usually only 11 marginals. The carapace is dorsally compressed, covered with flattened scutes without sunken sutures and large areolae.
There are five vertebrals, four costals, and 11 (rarely 12) marginals. Marginals may become slightly serrated and upturned in some individuals. The nuchal varies considerably in size and shape; the supracaudal is single. Supernumerary vertebrals and costals are common. The paired gulars are each broader than long, and the humerals do not contact the paired axillaries. The single inguinal is often fragmented, not conlacting the femoral.
The forelimbs are covered with large, overlapping scales and have only four toes. The hindfeet have four toes. The tail is longer in males (extending to or beyond the last marginal) and lacks a terminal spine. Buttock tubercules are well developed (reduced or absent in juveniles), and the largest on each side may be surrounded by three or four slightly smaller tubercles. The beak is not hooked, but tricuspid with a serrated
edge. The nostrils are below the eye level. Males lack a plastral concavity, but can be distinguished from females by their smaller size and longer tails.
The flattened shell is olive to rich red-brown, often with a wide black margin on each scute in juveniles.
The soft skin of the neck and upper legs is uniform dull brown, while the top of the head is often black.


Size
10-14 cm. A small to medium-sized tortoise. Females are larger than males (females 160 mm, 600 gm; males 130 mm, 350 g).

Geographic distribution
Homopus femoralis is endemic to South Africa. It occurs mainly in the western Free State and the northwestern part of the Eastern Cape. It has a peripheral presence in the Northern and Western Cape Provinces and the North West Province. From the Koueveldberge in the east, the distribution extends along the Onder-sneeuberge and Nuweveldberge of the escarpment to Sutherland in the west. The northern range extends westwards to Postmasburg in the Northern Cape.

Habitat
This species inhabits the highveld and rocky montane grassland.

Behaviour
It shelters in burrows or under large stone slabs.

Diet
Plants.

Reproduction
One to three eggs (29-35 x 25-27 mm) are laid in summer. The hatchlings measure 25-30 mm and weigh 5-8 gm.

Links:
The Conservation Biology of Tortoises. Edited by Ian R. Swingland and Michael W. Klemens. IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/170522/115656613
https://books.google.de/books?id=FQ5bDw ... ri&f=false
https://www.minambiente.it/sites/defaul ... ARUGHE.pdf

Geometric Tortoise Psammobates geometricus
Family: Testudinidae

© Okie
© Okie


Conservation status
IUCN: Psammobates geometricus is assessed as Critically Endangered based on known past and projected future population reductions, which combined amount to > 90%, over three generations (90 years). Population decline is due primarily to anthropogenic land transformation, where the causes of destruction have not ceased, based on direct observation, a decline in area of occupancy, extent of occurrence and habitat quality, the effects of introduced feral pigs and other subsidized predators, and unintentional but severe mortality from wildfires affecting small residual subpopulations in limited habitat patches. New threats to the species involve an increasing switch from sheep to cattle farming (greater trampling and habitat degradation); improper land management resulting in dense invasive vegetation that is unsuitable for tortoises; and climate change with an associated increase in drought frequency that intensifies physiological stress on the tortoises and the occurrences of wildfires. In addition, though currently not a major threat, there is the potential for rising levels of exploitation.
NEMBA Status: Endangered
CITES Listing: Appendix I

Description
The convex-shaped shell of the geometric tortoise has a bright yellow starred pattern on a black background and a similar, but duller, less-defined pattern on the underside. It is superficially very similar to the more common and widespread tent tortoise but differs from it in that, in the geometric tortoise, the marginal shields are higher than they are wide and there are no buttock tubercles on the back of the hind legs. The front legs are covered with unequal-sized scales and the front feet have five toes. The hind feet have four toes.


Size
Size: 8-12 cm total length (max: 14.5cm). Weight: 207-436g. There is a marked size difference between males (average 100 mm) and females (average 125 mm).

Geographic distribution
Psammobates geometricus is endemic to the Western Cape, South Africa. Historically, the species occurred from around Eendekuil and Piketberg in the north, southwards through the Swartland (Porterville, Hermon, Wellington, Paarl) to the Strand-Gordon's Bay area in the south, and eastwards in the Upper Breede River Valley, from Tulbagh in the north to just west of Worcester. It was also found in the Ceres Valley, in the northeast. The range currently occupied has diminished markedly, but isolated subpopulations are still found in the Paarl district, north of Wellington towards Porterville, between Tulbagh, Wolseley, and Worcester, and in the Ceres Valley.

Habitat
The geometric tortoise occurs only in the low-lying renosterveld shrublands of the Swartland, Upper Breede River Valley and Ceres Valley, where wheat and wine farming, as well as urban development, have led to the destruction of more than 90% of its habitat. The acidic, nutrient-poor soils support a low shrub vegetation including restios, geophytes and grasses. Typical geometric tortoise habitat comprises shale renosterveld and alluvium fynbos vegetation types.

Behaviour
This tortoise will shelter under vegetation when it is too hot or too cold. It is a very shy tortoise and when encountered, will immediately retract into its shell or scramble for the nearest shelter under vegetation.

Diet
These tortoises feed on small succulents, herbs and grasses.

Reproduction
Sexual maturity is reached at approximately 10 years and females lay one or more clutches of about 1-5 eggs in spring to early summer. The eggs generally hatch after the first winter rains when the ground has softened and fresh young annual plants have appeared, providing food and shelter for the hatchlings. By this time, the fire hazard has also dropped considerably.



Links:
The Conservation Biology of Tortoises. Edited by Ian R. Swingland and Michael W. Klemens. IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group
https://www.capenature.co.za/fauna-and- ... -tortoise/
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18398/111553007
https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/animals ... -tortoise/
http://biodiversityadvisor.sanbi.org/wp ... tricus.htm
https://books.google.de/books?id=HA9bDw ... se&f=false