Leopard tortoise
| Leopard tortoise | ||||||||||||
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Leopard tortoise in Kruger National Park, South Africa |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Stigmochelys | ||||||||||||
| JE Gray , 1873 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Stigmochelys pardalis | ||||||||||||
| ( Bell , 1828) | ||||||||||||
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The Panther turtle ( Stigmochelys pardalis ) is a tropical kg tortoise with armored lengths in wildlife of about 50 cm and a weight of 30+. The largest wild specimens have been reported from Somaliland . The largest leopard tortoise to date is a captive female who is over 70 cm tall (shell length) and weighs almost 50 kg. Currently the species is divided into two subspecies and colonizes large parts of southern and eastern Africa, especially hot and dry steppe landscapes, but also occurs in humid savannas . It is threatened primarily by overgrazing and urban sprawl in its natural habitats, but it also serves as a welcome supplier of eggs and meat in large parts of its range.
description
The adult leopard tortoise has a predominantly high-arched back shell of a beige to light brown basic color with scattered, characteristic spots, speckles and stripes. The tail shield is undivided, there is no neck shield. The belly armor of adults is predominantly light colored and only occasionally has darker speckles. The head and legs are yellow, tan, or light brown, occasionally with darker spots. The front legs have large, shingle-like horn scales arranged in rows. The hind legs have two horn cones arranged symmetrically to the tail. Young animals usually have an ivory to yellowish basic color with dark dots in the centers of the shields. These are surrounded by concentric red-brown to black rings, which are reminiscent of the fur pattern of a leopard. Some of their belly armor is still covered with such a luminous pattern. With increasing age, the high-contrast drawing fades, so that old animals sometimes appear almost monochrome and dark. Secondary sexual characteristics are only moderately pronounced. Males have a slightly longer tail, thicker at the root, and a slightly concave belly armor. They are usually smaller and their shell shape is slightly more elongated than that of the females. These have particularly strong claws on their hind legs, possibly an adaptation to digging nesting holes.
Systematics
The leopard tortoise was referred to as Testudo pardalis in the first description , but has been assigned to the Geochelone since 1835 . More recently it has been placed in its own genus, Stigmochelys Gray 1873
- Distribution: The leopard tortoise occurs in the following 17 countries: Ethiopia, Angola, Botswana, Djibouti, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Sudan, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda.
- Holotype: Was in the possession of the first descriptor, but can no longer be found
- Terra typica : "Promont. Bonae Spei", (Cape of Good Hope, South Africa)
- Origin of the name: stigma , Greek "stitch", "mal"; Chelys, gr., "Turtle"
Subspecies
The South African leopard tortoise , Stigmochelys pardalis pardalis Bell 1828, has a lower back armor with a light basic color compared to the other subspecies. Young animals show a clear central drawing of two or more spots in the shields of the back armor. Males have a shell length of up to 38 cm, females up to 50 cm.
- Distribution: Western South Africa, southern Namibia
- Origin of the name: pardalis, (Greek, "flecked")
- Original description: T. Bell: Descriptions of three new species of land tortoises. In: Zoological Journal. 3, London 1828, pp. 419-442.
The East African leopard tortoise , Stigmochelys pardalis babcocki Loveridge 1935, is higher back and slightly darker in the basic color of the shell . The shields of the young animals have no or at most one spot, mostly connected to the edge, and the belly armor is also weaker or not drawn at all.
- Distribution: The eastern subspecies populates a much larger area than the nominate form, the remaining parts of southern Africa and the east up to the Horn of Africa.
- Origin of the name: babcocki was created in honor of the American HL Babcock (1886–1953)
- Original description: A. Loveridge: Scientific results of an expedition to rain forest regions in eastern Africa. I. New reptiles and amphibians from East Africa. In: Bulletin of the Museum Comparative Zoology. 79, Harvard 1935, pp. 1-19.
Way of life in nature
Leopard tortoises are cold-blooded reptiles that have to minimize extreme seasonal and daily temperature fluctuations through appropriate behavior in order to be able to maintain a suitable body temperature. With this type of thermoregulation, seeking shelter at the appropriate time of year and time plays an important role. Often these are wolfberry bushes, prickly pear cacti or larger grass bushes. During the hot time of the year or day, denser vegetation is preferred, otherwise lighter. In addition, tree trunks, rocks, termite mounds and abandoned animal burrows provide protection and cover.
habitat
Leopard tortoises are not fussy about their habitat, with the exception of dense forest areas. They inhabit dry semi-deserts (e.g. the Kalahari ) with only 100 mm of annual precipitation, thorny bushland to rainy areas with 1400 mm, from flat savannas at sea level to altitudes of almost 3000 meters. Leopard tortoises are relatively loyal to the area, do not form fixed territories and use overlapping " home ranges " (residential areas) of up to 480 hectares. The main activity takes place on a fraction of this area. Areas used by males are mostly smaller than those of females. The estimated population density in populated areas is slightly less than one animal per hectare. The sex ratio between males and females is almost balanced.
food
Leopard tortoises feed almost exclusively on plants, mainly grasses, thistles, sedges, lily plants, fruit from trees and various succulents or cacti. When there is a plentiful supply of food, food preferences are shown for certain plants; in a study, only six plant species accounted for 75 percent of the food consumed, the fleshy leaves of hyacinths ( Albuca sp., 40%), dog-tooth grass ( Cynodon dactylon , 11%), wild mallow ( Abutilon sonneratianum ) and the introduced prickly pear Opuntia ficus indica . Increased calcium requirements are met by weathered bones and mineral-rich mammal faeces. In adaptation to their dry habitats, leopard tortoises have a frugal water balance and can also store larger amounts of water in the body.
Reproduction and growth
Leopard tortoises are egg-laying reptiles that do not care for the brood and leave the incubation of their clutches to the sun. Due to the different climatic conditions in the distribution area, the mating seasons vary somewhat, but mostly take place in summer. The males then become more aggressive towards other members of their sex and try to drive them away by ramming them against the shell. Females are also rammed and bitten until they pull in their head and legs and stop. Now the male can mount and mate. Cough-like wheezing sounds are emitted rhythmically, which are the only sounds these animals make.
To lay eggs, usually in the second half of summer, the female digs a bottle-shaped pit with her hind legs and lays 5–18 hard-shelled, round to slightly ellipsoidal eggs. Occasionally there are even up to 30 per clutch (Ernst, 2006). In total, three to six clutches are laid per year in nature, with an interval of around 22–31 days. The subsequent incubation time fluctuates very strongly, breeding times of 178–458 days have been observed in nature. The hatchlings usually appear on the surface of the earth from March to April. They are about two inches tall.
Danger
The population of the leopard tortoise was classified in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2016 as “ Least Concern (LC) ” = “not endangered”.
- CITES : Appendix II.
While adult leopard tortoises have few enemies to fear besides humans and their influence on their habitat, e.g. lions and hyenas, clutches, hatchlings and young animals are exposed to great predation pressure. Humans act as nest robbers, but also monitor lizards, wild and stray domestic dogs, various types of cats and other egg-eating small mammals. Hatchlings and young animals also fall victim to birds of prey and corvids, storks, ostriches, snakes, predatory mammals, rats and even ants and termites.
The greatest threat to recent tortoises comes from humans in almost all habitats. Primarily there are urban sprawl, slash and burn, destruction and overgrazing of habitats, but occasionally turtles are killed as pests of useful plants or as food competition for local livestock, their eggs and meat are collected for consumption or all parts of the body are used to produce various natural medicines. Electric fences to limit grazing animals are also a danger. In addition, collection continues to play a role for the international pet market. The official export quotas are relatively low (almost 4,000 animals for 2006, including up to 500 wild-caught animals from Ethiopia), but customs authorities around the world confiscate sometimes considerable quantities of smuggled leopard tortoises, often dead or in poor condition.
Protective measures
In addition to import restrictions imposed by the international convention for the protection of species, CITES and additional import restrictions in the European Union and the United States, the leopard tortoise is also protected in part by legislation and educational measures for the population in their home countries. In Germany, it is subject to Appendix B of the EU Species Protection Ordinance , which means that it can be acquired and kept without prior authorization, but legal acquisition must be reported to the competent authorities with proof, as well as breeding, relocation, and death of the animals.
The leopard tortoise and man
Traditionally, leopard tortoises were and are mainly used as a supplier of meat and eggs and their shells are used as a variety of jewelry and household items. In addition, they are popular pets in many countries . In some home countries there are legal breeding farms for this market, but according to a study they are operated very poorly and also collect unauthorized wild catches to a considerable extent
attitude
Hatchlings of the leopard tortoise are among the prettiest tortoises on offer in Germany and therefore stick out every smaller tortoise that is better suited for the average tortoise owner in the show systems of the zoo shops. These animals are very large, tropical tortoises, which are demanding and expensive pets in terms of space, heating costs and food. You need your own terrarium room with a minimum size of about 20 m² , heated to tropical air temperatures of over 30 ° C and lavishly illuminated in the German winter ; In addition, a sunny, escape-proof outdoor area of at least 100 m², with free access to a stable, heatable greenhouse (both minimum sizes for Geochelone sulcata : Kundert, 2004).
During their "rainy season" (the German summer) you can let the animals look for food independently in the field, grasses rich in crude fiber (e.g. wild millet varieties), wild herbs of all kinds (dandelions, plantain species, lettuce, thistles etc.) and leaves various bushes and trees such as rose hibiscus (Hibiscus syriacus), mulberry trees and young birch trees. During the dry season in winter they are mainly offered hay and hay pellets, occasionally gazania, tradeskantien and succulent plants such as prickly pear, fat hen, sansseveria, Kalanchoe and Crassula species. Cultivated plants such as salads and vegetable leaves or fruits should only be used in emergencies. Fruit, animal products or even unnatural types of food such as quark, pasta and soaked baked goods must not be offered under any circumstances. In addition, lime in the form of eggshells, mussel grit, sepia and fresh drinking water are served daily. In addition, the animals must be supplied with UV rays (wavelength range around 300 nm) while they are kept indoors so that they can synthesize the vitamin D required for calcium metabolism.
Diseases
In particular, wild caught and imported offspring are prone to internal diseases, infections of the respiratory tract or skin and shell due to the parasite load and stress brought along during the acclimatization phase. In European offspring, incorrect keeping and feeding conditions during rearing can lead to shell deformation and organ damage. In addition, young animals occasionally experience sudden, usually fatal, softening of their armor, especially of the belly, in spite of sufficient lime and UV irradiation. The reasons for this are still unknown.
Others
Buying wild-caught leopard tortoise or offspring from African farms, such as those offered in pet shops, should be avoided for reasons of species protection and animal welfare. If you decide to keep this species, it is best to get well accustomed and healthy young animals from offspring.
proof
Individual evidence
- ↑ MRK Lambert: On geographical size variation, growth and sexual dimorphism of the leopard tortoise, Geochelone pardalis, in Somaliland. In: Chelonian Conservation and Biology. 1, 1995, pp. 269-278.
- ^ Uwe Fritz, Peter Havas: Checklist of Chelonians of the World. In: Vertebrate Zoology. Volume 57, No. 2, Dresden 2007.
- ↑ CITES species database: Stigmochelys pardalis , Distribution
- ↑ Mervyn C. Mason, Graham IH Kerley, Craig A. Weathreby, William R. Branch: Angulate and leopard tortoises in the thicket biome, Eastern Cape, South Africa: populations and biomass estimates. In: African Journal of Ecology. Volume 38, No. 2, 2000, p. 147. doi : 10.1046 / j.1365-2028.2000.00231.x
- ↑ a b M. K. McMaster: The status and ecology of the leopard tortoise (Geochelone pardalis) on farmland in the Nama-Karoo. M. Sc. thesis, University of Natal 2001.
- ↑ IH Graham, Kerley, Mervyn Mason, Craig Weatherby: The role of Tortoises in the thicket biome, South Africa: ranging behavior, diet and seed dispersal. ( Memento of the original from September 27, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Twenty-Third Annual Meeting and Symposium of the Desert Tortoise Council. 3rd to 5th April 1998 (abstract).
- ^ A b Richard C. Boycott, Ortwin Bourquin: The Southern African Tortoise Book. A Guide to southern African Tortoises, Terrapins, and Turtles. Bourquin, Hilton / KwaZulu-Natal 2000, ISBN 0-620-26536-1 .
- ↑ Stigmochelys Pardalis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2015 Posted by: Baker, PJ, Kabigumila, J., Leuteritz, T., Hofmeyr, M. & Ngwava, JM, 2014. Accessed March 8, 2018th
- ↑ CITES species database: Stigmochelys pardalis
- ↑ J. Kabigumila: Community Attitudes to Tortoises (Geochelone pardalis babcocki) and their conservation in Northern Tanzania. (PDF; 123 kB) In: African Study Monographs. Volume 19, No. 4, 1998, pp. 201-216.
- ↑ J. Kabigumila: Efficacy of Leopard Tortoise farming (Geochelone pardalis) in Tanzania. (PDF; 78 kB) In: African Study Monographs. Volume 19, No. 4, 1998, pp. 187-199.
literature
- CH Ernst, RGM Altenburg, RW Barbour: Geochelone pardalis (Leopard Tortoise). In: Turtles of the World. Springer, Heidelberg 2000, ISBN 3-540-14547-8 . (DVD-ROM)
- Holger Vetter: Panther and Spurred Tortoise - Stigmochelys pardalis and Centrochelys sulcata. (Turtle Library Volume 1). Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main 2005, ISBN 3-89973-501-3 .
Web links
- Stigmochelys Pardalis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2015 Posted by: Baker, PJ, Kabigumila, J., Leuteritz, T., Hofmeyr, M. & Ngwava, JM, 2014. Accessed March 8, 2018th
- Stigmochelys pardalis in The Reptile Database
- Further information on hump formation, character and keeping in captivity: schildkroete.net