tortoise id? (1 Viewer)

Isurus

Well-known member

• Nov 11, 2005

• #1

saw this tortoise racing accross the grass at kirstenbosch botanic gardens in Capetown (moving so quickly I assumed it was a pangolin until I got bins on it). Anyway caught up with him and took these pics but I'm unsure whether its native or a released pet (or both) and therefore don't really know where to start id wise - any suggestions?

 

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Bushbaby

Active member

• Nov 24, 2005

• #2

It could be an Angulate Tortoise.

If you would like you can post the pics on a reptile website like www.sareptiles.co.za and ask for identification. I am not that sure about Tortoises. Only one I know is the Leopard Tortoise.

Alternatively you should try get your hands on one of Bill Branch's latest editions of "Reptiles of Southern Africa".

 

Isurus

Well-known member

• Nov 24, 2005

• #3

Bushbaby said:

It could be an Angulate Tortoise.

Click to expand...

Thanks. I believe it is an angulate having subsequently id'd this bigger specimen as an angulate from the same region (note Tilley Hat for scale - truly multipurpose headgear)

 

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Bushbaby

Active member

• Nov 25, 2005

• #4

Angulate Tortoises do not grow as big as the one in your second post. That in actual fact looks like a Leopard Tortoise to me. There's a big difference in their appearance, which you cannot miss.

 

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Bushbaby

Active member

• Nov 25, 2005

• #5

The first tortoise is a Padloper Homopus areolatus.

http://www.oudtshoorninfo.com/fauna.php?id=25&category=41

 

Isurus

Well-known member

• Nov 25, 2005

• #6

Bushbaby said:

Angulate Tortoises do not grow as big as the one in your second post. That in actual fact looks like a Leopard Tortoise to me. There's a big difference in their appearance, which you cannot miss.

Click to expand...

thanks - I'm finding tortoises hard to differentiate - I'm obviously missing the subtle differences between them. Having googled I think the big one must be pardalis as you say which is interesting as the game park where it was lists only Pelomedusa subrufa, Homopus signatus and Chersine angulatus as present.

 

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Bushbaby

Active member

• Nov 25, 2005

• #7

Which game park was it at?

BTW, back to your original post. In South Africa we are not allowed to keep exotic tortoises and we need permits to keep indigenous tortoises. I would assume that the tortoises in question would be indigenous and occur in the area.

 

Last edited: Nov 25, 2005

Isurus

Well-known member

• Nov 25, 2005

• #8

Bushbaby said:

Which game park was it at?

BTW, back to your original post. In South Africa we are not allowed to keep exotic tortoises and we need permits to keep indigenous tortoises. I would assume that the tortoises in question would be indigenous and occur in the area.

Click to expand...

This was the reserve: http://www.solole.co.za/

the big one was wandering around outside their restaurant but there were a number of others up in the reserve itself. The first one posted was at kirstenbosch and it was there that it was implied it was a released pet (although it could of course have been a pet of a native species).

 

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Bushbaby

Active member

• Nov 28, 2005

• #9

Tortoises are not that rare in the wild and they do occur throughout South Africa. I seriously doubt that it is a released pet. Guess we'll never know.