# Anyone here have Speckled Cape Tortoise?



## Missy (Jun 27, 2011)

I was doing some reading and came across these tiny tortoises. Speckled Cape Tortoise (Homopus Signatus) Males only get 3'' and females 4''. The book also says that they do not thrive in captivity. I was wondering if anyone on the forum have these? I would love to see pics. and learn more about them.


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## Neal (Jun 27, 2011)

I don't, but I used to have 3 green and speckled frogs. They sat on a speckled log and ate the most delicious bugs. They all jumped in the pool where it was nice and cool and now I have no green speckled frogs.


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## Yvonne G (Jun 27, 2011)

I really doubt there are any in captivity. They are very much endangered in the wild and its illegal to buy/sell them.


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## Terry Allan Hall (Jun 27, 2011)

I've only seen any for sale on one occasion, about 20 years ago...as I recall, they were $6K each or $10k a pair, and there were about a half dozen on display.

Next time I visited this reptile shop, perhaps a month later, they were in the process of being shut down for illegal trafficing in endangered species...


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## yagyujubei (Jun 27, 2011)

Here are some good pics of various padlopers: http://www.sareptiles.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=25191
http://www.sareptiles.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=22995
http://www.sareptiles.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=12891&p=98819&hilit=speckled+padlopers#p98819
http://www.sareptiles.co.za/forum/v...043&p=166778&hilit=speckled+padlopers#p166778


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## GBtortoises (Jun 27, 2011)

I had 1 male and 1 female _Homopus signatus signatus_ along with 1 male _Homopus signatus cafer_ back in the early late 80's into the early 90's. They were around $500 a piece then and were not common. I can only imagine what they'd go for today! Unknown to me at the time, the female became egg bound which eventually caused her death. Shortly after I sold the two males (one to Egyptian Dan). Overall they actually did very well in captivity and thrived. 
At the same time I also had a group of 2.4 _Homopus areolatus_ which is a species that was reported to be more hardy than the _H. signatus_. I found the opposite to be true. I had a lot of respiratory issues with the _H. areolatus_.

I think I have some old 35 mm snapshots somewhere of some of them. If I can find them I'll post some.


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## bikerchicspain (Jun 27, 2011)

I wish, I have been searching for 2 years now, only zoo's have them.


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