Forest turtle
| Forest turtle | ||||||||||||
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Head of the forest turtle |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Chelonoidis denticulatus | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1766) |
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The forest tortoise ( Chelonoidis denticulatus ) is a species of the genus Chelonoidis from the tortoise family (Testudinidae).
features
The forest turtle can grow to be 60–70 cm. The basic color of the shell is dark brown to light brown, but never black like the closely related coal tortoise ( Chelonoidis carbonarius ). The yellow scales on the legs are noticeable, in English-speaking countries it is therefore called the Yellow-Foot Tortoise . Yellow spots can also be found as a drawing of the head, but these never turn into reddish, as is very often the case with the coal tortoise. Nevertheless, the demarcation from this similarly drawn turtle is sometimes difficult.
The carapace is high, but relatively narrow. There is a sexual dimorphism , the adult males of this species are usually smaller than the females.
Characteristic of the forest turtles are paired, relatively large scales on the top of the head directly behind the nose, which are not found in coal turtles.
distribution
The forest turtle comes from South America , where it inhabits the always humid, but also the alternately humid tropical rainforests . You can find them in Colombia, Venezuela, the Guiana, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay, but also on the island of Trinidad .
Terrarium and outdoor facility
The animals are relatively easy to keep if you can offer them appropriate temperatures and humidity. But because of their size, they need a lot of space and because of their liveliness, they need a large outdoor enclosure.
nutrition
The forest turtles have a wide range of food available in their natural habitat. Grasses, leaves and tropical fruits are the main source of food, but they also eat snails, worms and insects.
In captivity, dandelions, endives, spinach, parsley and courgettes have proven their worth; a varied, calcium-rich and low-phosphate diet is important. Fruits like bananas, kiwi, apples, citrus fruits and strawberries are also eaten. In the outdoor enclosure, the turtles also eat live snails and worms.
breed
Breeding of the endangered species is possible under suitable conditions. An incubation temperature of 28–31 ° C is necessary, with a humidity of at least 85%. The eggs are laid in vermiculite , the substrate must be kept very moist, but waterlogging must be avoided. Experience has shown that the young hatch (not from all eggs) after 120 to 160 days.
literature
- 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
Individual evidence
- ↑ on the name cf. Storrs L. Olson (2014): The gender of the tortoise genus Chelonoidis Fitzinger, 1835 (Testudines: Testudinidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 126 (4): 393-394.
Web links
- Chelonoidis denticulatus in The Reptile Database
- Chelonoidis denticulata in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2013.1. Listed by: Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, 1996. Retrieved September 9, 2013.