Areole flat turtle
| Areole flat turtle | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Areole flat turtle |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Homopus areolatus | ||||||||||||
| ( Thunberg , 1787) |
The areole flat turtle ( Homopus areolatus ) is a species from the family of tortoises and belongs to the genus of flat turtles . It is one of the smallest turtle species at all. Its distribution is limited to the Cape Province of South Africa . It occurs there in a predominantly Mediterranean climate that is characterized by dry and hot summers and cool and rainy winters. Their habitat are coastal heathland areas and the Karoo , a semi-desert landscape in the central plateau of South Africa.
Appearance
The areole flat turtle has a relatively flat back shell compared to other tortoise species. The center of the shield often looks indented or sunk. The color of the carapace is reddish to nut brown. The belly armor usually has no color markings and is a single color from light brown to ocher.
The females have a maximum carapace length of 11.4 centimeters. The males stay smaller and reach a maximum size of 9.5 centimeters. What is striking about the males is the massive head. The jaw is strongly curved and hooked. The nostrils are very high on the muzzle. The areole flat turtle is one of the two species in the genus of flat turtles that have only four toenails each on both front feet and hind legs.
Way of life
The areole flat turtle lives in bushland. She usually stays near her hiding places. She is able to dig caves herself, but also uses the abandoned burrows of mammals. The female areole flat turtle is able to lay several clutches per year. A clutch usually contains between two and three eggs. The time between oviposition and hatching of the young depends on the ambient temperature and the relative humidity. Usually the young hatch after 92 to 134 days. Newly hatched young animals have a carapace of 3 centimeters and weigh between seven and eight grams.
Areole flat turtles feed mainly on plants. The food plants it uses include blossoms, flowers and leaves.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Website about the flat turtles - English
- ↑ a b Rogner, p. 85
literature
- Manfred Rogner: Tortoises - biology, keeping, reproduction , Eugen Ulmer KG, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-8001-5440-1