Coal tortoise
| Coal tortoise | ||||||||||||
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Chelonoidis carbonarius |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Chelonoidis carbonarius | ||||||||||||
| ( Spix , 1824) |
The footed tortoise ( Chelonoidis carbonarius , Syn. : Geochelone carbonarius ) is in tropical South America living Landschildkrötenart the genus Chelonoidis from the family of tortoises (Testudinidae). It was previously and partly in the literature still placed in the genus Geochelone .
features
The coal turtle is a relatively large species of turtle , it can grow up to 50 cm tall and weigh over 20 kg. The basic color of the carapace , the limbs, the head and the neck, which is highly domed in adult specimens , is black. However, the yellow, orange or sometimes red horn scales on the front and occasionally also on the rear limbs are noticeable. There is a similar pattern of spots on the head, individually different in the form of single spots or two-dimensional coloring. The plastron is sometimes solid yellow, sometimes yellow with black or dark brown and always irregular spots. The individual shields (areoles) of the back armor have striking yellow centers. The tall legs and the stilt-like gait are characteristic of the coal tortoise and enable it to move on marshy steppes and in deciduous forests.
Occurrence
The home of the coal turtle is tropical South America , where its distribution is divided into a northern and a southern zone. In the north they are found between Panama and northern Brazil , in the south from the southern parts of Brazil via Peru , Bolivia and Paraguay to Argentina . It is represented from the tropical to the subtropical zones in the south up to the 25th parallel. There is a regular alternation between hot summers and dry winters. Coalfish turtles are native to the tropical rainforest but also to savannahs . In this wide area of distribution, the coal turtles differed quite clearly in size and color. Populations with specimens only about 20 cm long carapace live in Argentina. In contrast, the largest individuals from Brazil are known.
Way of life
Very little is known about the way of life in nature. Koehler tortoises live in the dry flatlands, in grasslands and adjacent forest regions. Sometimes you can find coal turtles in open areas of damp rainforests. The food consists to a large extent of vegetable food but also of carrion. The breeding season usually begins with the onset of the rainy season. The female lays the 6 to 10 eggs in a self-dug nest that is only about 10 cm deep. After an average of 5 months, the young turtles hatch. Due to the ongoing destruction of their habitat , all tortoise species in South America are considered critically endangered (IUCN status Vulnerable). Their trade is regulated by the Washington Convention on the Protection of Species (WA, Appendix II).
Reproduction
The breeding season begins with the onset of the rainy season. The courtship is ritualized: Males circle the females ready to reproduce and repeatedly bite their legs. The cloacal region of the female is smelled intensely. Finally, the male positions himself in front of the female and rocks his head back and forth before mating. The females later dig a nesting pit eight to twelve centimeters in size. The clutch usually consists of six to ten eggs. The incubation period depends on the ambient temperature and humidity and is between 100 and 150 days.
Importance to humans
In their homeland, coal tortoises are caught for their meat. As a terrarium animal, this species does not play a major role. However, it is successfully maintained and propagated by a few specialists and in some zoological gardens.
swell
Individual evidence
- ↑ Rogner, p. 80
literature
- Manfred Rogner: Tortoises - biology, keeping, reproduction , Eugen Ulmer KG, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-8001-5440-1
- Sabine Vinke, Holger Vetter, Thomas Vinke, Susanne Vetter: South American tortoises. Chelonoidis carbonaria, Chelonoidis denticulata and Chelonoidis chilensis , Tortoise Library Volume 3, Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main 2008, ISBN 3-89973-503-X
- J. Furrer (1969): Comments on: Testudo carnonaria Omnivore or Scavenger? . D. Aqua. u. Terr. Z. (DATZ), 22 (29), 62-63.
