Bells hingeback

[Anyfoot]

• K. b. belliana - Bell's hinge-back
• K. b. domerguei - Madagascan hinge-back
• K. b. nogeuyi - Western hinge-back
• K. b. zombensis - Southeastern hinge-back

Hi all.

Just so curios with the Kinixys species.(I think I'm bordering on obsessed. lol)
Is there anyone who can show or tell me how to identify the 4 types of bells hingebacks above please, And maybe a bit of info on these guys.(size,diet,habitat,).

Thank you.

Craig

 

[juli11]

• K. b. belliana - Bell's hinge-back
• K. b. domerguei - Madagascan hinge-back
• K. b. nogeuyi - Western hinge-back
• K. b. zombensis - Southeastern hinge-back

Hi all.

Just so curios with the Kinixys species.(I think I'm bordering on obsessed. lol)
Is there anyone who can show or tell me how to identify the 4 types of bells hingebacks above please, And maybe a bit of info on these guys.(size,diet,habitat,).

Thank you.

Craig

First of all kinixys belliana haven't got so much subspecies anymore. Now they call:

Kinixys nougeiy
Kinixys zombensis
Kinixys belliana belliana

Also I heard a presentation about the gen-different between the subspecies. Kinixys zombensis and kinixys belliana domerguei only have a gen-different of 1% that's not enough for a own subspecies (you need 4%). So all in all kinixys belliana domerguei isn't a subspecies only a other type of zombensis from Madagascar.

To your question. You can distinguish K. nougeiy from all other kinds of the "old belliana" when you look on their claws. They only have 4 claws all other have 5. To distinguish belliana belliana and zombensis is a little bit difficult. I only distinguish them on their shell colour don't really know more points. Maybe kelly know more.

 

[juli11]

Ah what I forgot. Kinixys nougeiy live in the forest and grasslands of westafrica so more wet. They also eat more fruits. The other kinds live more in the grassland and savanna of east Africa. So they live more dryer and don't eat so much sugar. The form of zombensis in Madagascar lives in a forest in the hills so I think that their are able to eat more fruits and sugar than zombensis in the savanna I also think that they live more wet that zombensis from the savanna.

 

[Anyfoot]

Ah what I forgot. Kinixys nougeiy live in the forest and grasslands of westafrica so more wet. They also eat more fruits. The other kinds live more in the grassland and savanna of east Africa. So they live more dryer and don't eat so much sugar. The form of zombensis in Madagascar lives in a forest in the hills so I think that their are able to eat more fruits and sugar than zombensis in the savanna I also think that they live more wet that zombensis from the savanna.

Thanks for clearing that up Julian. So how many species of Kinixys are there. Maybe @tortadise can add to that later.

 

[juli11]

Thanks for clearing that up Julian. So how many species of Kinixys are there. Maybe @tortadise can add to that later.

K. nougeiy
K. homeana
K. erosa
K. belliana belliana
K. zombensis ( form from Madagascar)
K. spekii
K. natalensis
K. lobatsiana

But in westafrica should be different kinds of homeana and Erosa. The rainforest has a break in Togo? In think but on both sites (west and east) live erosa and homeana. So it's very possible that there are different kinds of them which have enough genetic-different to be own subspecies.
Maybe one small different is that the homeanas from Benin and Togo has often a yellow head..

 

[tortadise]

Yeah zombensis will always have a star or radiating pattern and quite black. Domergueyi are the same but more brown. They've allocated them a sub species of zombensis because of the possible reintroduction hundreds of years ago. But the ones I've seem are much different than eastern zomensis and quite large.

Belliana will have as stated the 5 toes. They also don't pancake or flatten out on the carapace like nogyuei do. When seen seperatly its difficult but side by side it's easy to distinguish.

The main diversification of all the Kinixys is the head/beak. Sometimes nogyuei will have 5 toes too. Eapecially in the farthest eastern range. I did a post on these guys a while back I'll find it and post it here.

 

[juli11]

Yeah zombensis will always have a star or radiating pattern and quite black. Domergueyi are the same but more brown. They've allocated them a sub species of zombensis because of the possible reintroduction hundreds of years ago. But the ones I've seem are much different than eastern zomensis and quite large.

Belliana will have as stated the 5 toes. They also don't pancake or flatten out on the carapace like nogyuei do. When seen seperatly its difficult but side by side it's easy to distinguish.

The main diversification of all the Kinixys is the head/beak. Sometimes nogyuei will have 5 toes too. Eapecially in the farthest eastern range. I did a post on these guys a while back I'll find it and post it here.

Yes domerguei is most related with zombensis. But the two species only have a genetically different of 1%. That's not enough for an own subspecies.