REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
Bushmanland tent tortoise, Psammobates tentorius verroxii
Boesmanland-knoppiesdopskilpad
Bushmanland tent tortoises occur from the central and southern parts of Namibia southeastwards into the South African region known as Bushmanland and into the Great Karoo. Southwards it reaches the Tankwa Karoo. This species is larger than the Namaqualand tent tortoise and females, and grow to approximately 140 mm in carapace length and 80 mm in shell height. They weigh up to 450 g. Males have a shell length of approximately 100 mm, shell height of 50 mm and weigh up to about 250 g. The shell is rather convex and rounded, and the shields on the carapace are never really raised in tent-like structures such as in the Namaqualand tent tortoise. The front feet each have five claws, while the hind feet possess four claws each. The colour pattern is varied, but it is primarily a starred or rayed pattern. The number and size of the rays from the central point of each shield vary, and the rays are generally light to darker yellow on a dark-brown to black background. Very little is known about the life history of this species, and few studies have been performed. It is assumed that their diet would include a variety of succulent plants. Throughout their range they are not regarded as threatened, but local threats include habitat destruction through mainly indiscriminate agricultural development and poor landuse practices.
Boulenger's Cape tortoise, Homopus boulengeri
Boulenger's padloper, Karoo padloper
This tortoise of the Homopus genus, endemic to the Nama Karoo Region of South Africa and in southern Namibia. The genus Homopus consists of five small, relatively flattened tortoise species (maximum shell length 10-17 cm), including the world's smallest tortoise. Males are smaller than females and have concave plastrons in some species. Their plastrons have paired thickened gulars. It has a flattened shell with a bridge and the colour varies from dark red to olive yellow, dull yellow skin on the neck and limbs. They lay up to three eggs. It is threatened by traffic on roads, and poaching for the pet trade as well as overgrazing.
Speckled padloper, Homopus signatus
Speckled Cape tortoise
The speckled Cape tortoise is the world’s smallest tortoise. It is endemic to South Africa, and is naturally restricted to a small area in Little Namaqualand, an arid region in the west of South Africa. Here it lives on granite outcrops, where it forages among the rocks for the tiny succulent plants it eats. The males measure 6–8 cm, while females measure up to almost 10 cm. This species has a flattened shell with slightly serrated edges. The orange-brown shell is covered in hundreds of black spots. The males have a noticeably concave belly. This tiny tortoise can be distinguished from the other padlopers by its speckles, and by five toes on its forefeet (unlike many of its relatives, which have four toes, on all four feet). They are threatened by traffic on roads, poaching for the pet trade, and overgrazing.
Boesmanland-knoppiesdopskilpad
Bushmanland tent tortoises occur from the central and southern parts of Namibia southeastwards into the South African region known as Bushmanland and into the Great Karoo. Southwards it reaches the Tankwa Karoo. This species is larger than the Namaqualand tent tortoise and females, and grow to approximately 140 mm in carapace length and 80 mm in shell height. They weigh up to 450 g. Males have a shell length of approximately 100 mm, shell height of 50 mm and weigh up to about 250 g. The shell is rather convex and rounded, and the shields on the carapace are never really raised in tent-like structures such as in the Namaqualand tent tortoise. The front feet each have five claws, while the hind feet possess four claws each. The colour pattern is varied, but it is primarily a starred or rayed pattern. The number and size of the rays from the central point of each shield vary, and the rays are generally light to darker yellow on a dark-brown to black background. Very little is known about the life history of this species, and few studies have been performed. It is assumed that their diet would include a variety of succulent plants. Throughout their range they are not regarded as threatened, but local threats include habitat destruction through mainly indiscriminate agricultural development and poor landuse practices.
Boulenger's Cape tortoise, Homopus boulengeri
Boulenger's padloper, Karoo padloper
This tortoise of the Homopus genus, endemic to the Nama Karoo Region of South Africa and in southern Namibia. The genus Homopus consists of five small, relatively flattened tortoise species (maximum shell length 10-17 cm), including the world's smallest tortoise. Males are smaller than females and have concave plastrons in some species. Their plastrons have paired thickened gulars. It has a flattened shell with a bridge and the colour varies from dark red to olive yellow, dull yellow skin on the neck and limbs. They lay up to three eggs. It is threatened by traffic on roads, and poaching for the pet trade as well as overgrazing.
Speckled padloper, Homopus signatus
Speckled Cape tortoise
The speckled Cape tortoise is the world’s smallest tortoise. It is endemic to South Africa, and is naturally restricted to a small area in Little Namaqualand, an arid region in the west of South Africa. Here it lives on granite outcrops, where it forages among the rocks for the tiny succulent plants it eats. The males measure 6–8 cm, while females measure up to almost 10 cm. This species has a flattened shell with slightly serrated edges. The orange-brown shell is covered in hundreds of black spots. The males have a noticeably concave belly. This tiny tortoise can be distinguished from the other padlopers by its speckles, and by five toes on its forefeet (unlike many of its relatives, which have four toes, on all four feet). They are threatened by traffic on roads, poaching for the pet trade, and overgrazing.