Smooth-edged jointed turtle
| Smooth-edged jointed turtle | ||||||||||||
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Smooth-edged jointed turtle |
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| Kinixys belliana | ||||||||||||
| Gray , 1831 |
The smooth- edged jointed turtle ( Kinixys belliana ) is a widespread tortoise native to Africa . It reaches a size of about 22 cm. It occurs in Ethiopia, Kenya, the DR Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan and Tanzania (including Zanzibar). Their habitat are moist savannahs, forests and thickets.
Subspecies and their range
The type smooth-edged jointed turtle belongs to the suborder of the Halsberger (Cryptodira) and there to the genus of the jointed turtle ( Kinixys ). There are three known subspecies:
- East African smooth wrist turtle ( Kinixys belliana belliana ) is the nominate form that occurs from the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo via Ethiopia and Somalia to Uganda and western Kenya .
- West African smooth wrist turtle ( Kinixys belliana nogueyi ), found from Senegal in West Africa to Cameroon and the Central African Republic.
- Kinixys belliana zombensis , which is naturally distributed from northeast Kenya to northeast South Africa. It was introduced and established in Madagascar.
Appearance
The smooth-edged jointed turtles have a carapace length of up to 22 centimeters. The color of the back armor is very uneven. It ranges from a light horn color to yellow-green, yellowish or red-brown. Like all jointed turtles, the smooth-edged jointed turtle also has a hinge in the rear part of its dorsal armor, which enables it to fold down the shell, thus protecting its tail and hind limbs. This can only be found in adult animals. This is still missing in young animals. They only show a slight shift in the edge and rib shields in the rear area of the body.
Way of life
The smooth-edged jointed turtle feeds on vegetable and animal food and needs a warmer and more humid environment than the Greek tortoise native to Europe .
The eggs are laid from November to March. Two to six eggs are laid, two egg-laying per year is possible.
Due to biotope destruction and collection, the smooth-edged jointed turtle is one of the most endangered species. Since it is also difficult to maintain, it should not be kept in a terrarium.
proof
Individual evidence
literature
- Manfred Rogner: Tortoises - biology, keeping, reproduction , Eugen Ulmer KG, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-8001-5440-1