When Lonesome George passed away the Charles Darwin Station lost a celebrity. Baby tortoises now seem to be a big draw.
Each wear a number written in a specific color that indicates what island they’re from. Once they’re a certain age each are returned to their home island.
Threats: habitat loss and deforestation, caused by “‘slash and burn’ agricultural practices, charcoal burning, oil exploration,”cattle grazing, “highway development, mining, and petroleum exploration.” Illegal collection for the pet trade adds increased pressure on the remaining wild populations, who have a particularly low reproductive capacity, “even by tortoise standards.”
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/19036/0
(via Flat-shelled spider tortoise videos, photos and facts - Pyxis planicauda - ARKive)
Description: Small tortoise with a flattened, oblong upper shell (carapace) or tail. Its shell is distinctly patterned, “with each scute having a light brown to yellow center surrounded by a wide, dark brown to black border”. Its head ranges in color from “dark brown to black, with some variable yellow markings” while its limbs are yellowish brown with ”large yellow scales” covering the back legs.
Range:the dry, deciduous forests scattered along the western coast of Madagascar
Diet: fallen fruits from trees, the shoots and leaves of bushes.
In honor of this year’s World Turtle Day (May 23rd), I’ve decided to devote this month’s blog posts to 31 of the world’s most endangered turtle and tortoise species (31 days in May, 31 turtles). Since I thought of this great idea 3 days into May, today’s posts will feature 3 species as I play catch up.
Red-Footed Tortoise (Geochelone carbonaria)
- Red-footed tortoises live in southern Central America and throughout much of South America
- Red-footed tortoises live in dry forest areas, grasslands and the savanna. They may also live in areas of rain forest that are close to open habitats
- Individuals have varying degrees of coloration, which varies according to locality of origin. Overall, the skin is mostly black. Small, distinct areas of yellow or tan coloring surround or cover each carapace bump
- As with other species of tortoise, male red-footed tortoises have a concave plastron (bottom of shell)
- Males are usually larger than females and grow up to 13.5 inches in length; females average 11.25 inches in length
- Red-footed tortoises have a life expectancy of about 50 years
- red-footed tortoises are primarily herbivorous but also eat small amounts of animal matter, such as carrion. They also eat fungi, live and dead plants or fruits, flowers, soil, sand, and slow moving animals such as snails, worms and insects that they can capture
- Breeding occurs with the beginning of the rainy season. Males identify each other through a characteristic head movement that is a series of jerks away from and back to a middle position. If another tortoise is a male, he will make the same head movements. Males will battle each other, attempting to turn over one another
- Scientific experiments and observation have shown that for mating to continue, both male and female must have “correct” coloration on the respective mate’s head. Then, the male sniffs the cloacal region of the female. Copulation usually follows the sniffing, but the male repeatedly circles the female and bites the legs of the female before mating
- During courtship and copulation, the male clucks in a set pattern of different pitches that sound very much like a chicken
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Fingerprinting tortoises is a useful way of identifying a tortoise as yours if it is lost or stolen. No two tortoise shells are identical - just like fingerprints. It is a good idea to fingerprint your tortoise if he ever goes outside or is left unsupervised at any time (almost all tortoises will be left alone at some point). I dont exactly live in a fantastic area so for me this was important to do. Its very simple and all you will need is a Camera, Paper, Marker, Tape Measure/Ruler and some weighing scales.
