Care Sheet Bowsprit Tortoises

[CarolM]

And then the last tort, which I found by the put put course right on the other side of the resort. These are all the photo's that I have taken of the torts in the Citrusdal area. They were found at the Piekenierskloof Mountain resort, so up in the mountain rather in the actual citrusdal town are (which is probably about 15min away - I think) If you would like to have a look at the area - have a look here: http://piekenierskloof.co.za/

 

[CarolM]

Hope this helped Dan for better clarity of what went with what for each tort.

 

[CarolM]

I do have a question though. Are these all the same species? And if not which are which? I also wonder if mine are actually Bowsprit tortoises or the common padloper tortoises.? I visited the World of birds recently and they had two baby torts in the reptile room. You can see that they are not bringing up their torts with the new humid method but the torts look like my little one, which makes me wonder if mine are the padloper species instead of the Chersina Angulata? (I did not have the opportunity to speak to them re. the dry condition of their torts - very sadly and I wanted to)

 

[CarolM]

The third post is of the Baby which was found down in the valley. The guys there are quite relaxed about them. My youngest saw the baby and wanted to show me. They told him he could bring it to the top where we were staying as long as we let it go again. How old would you say the baby actually is?View attachment 230420 View attachment 230421 View attachment 230422 View attachment 230423 View attachment 230424 View attachment 230425 View attachment 230420 View attachment 230421 View attachment 230422 View attachment 230423 View attachment 230424 View attachment 230425

Hmmm. This little one has the same ridge on the front scute just above the head like my one. Interesting, I thought that was a characteristic of the father coming through.

 

[Tom]

I do have a question though. Are these all the same species? And if not which are which? I also wonder if mine are actually Bowsprit tortoises or the common padloper tortoises.? I visited the World of birds recently and they had two baby torts in the reptile room. You can see that they are not bringing up their torts with the new humid method but the torts look like my little one, which makes me wonder if mine are the padloper species instead of the Chersina Angulata? (I did not have the opportunity to speak to them re. the dry condition of their torts - very sadly and I wanted to)

I've been to World of Birds! My girlfriend took me there. They had a really cool exhibit with a giant Indian Hornbill that would land on the rail when it wasn't harassing the Bat-Eared Fox in its exhibit and let you pet it. They had lots and lots of Chersina out in a big grassy yard.

@Will Can you help with the ID here. You have a lot of experience with both species in question and I don't want to get it wrong again.

 

[Sterant]

The third post is of the Baby which was found down in the valley. The guys there are quite relaxed about them. My youngest saw the baby and wanted to show me. They told him he could bring it to the top where we were staying as long as we let it go again. How old would you say the baby actually is?View attachment 230420 View attachment 230421 View attachment 230422 View attachment 230423 View attachment 230424 View attachment 230425 View attachment 230420 View attachment 230421 View attachment 230422 View attachment 230423 View attachment 230424 View attachment 230425

Thanks so much Carol. This helps a lot! Really appreciate your time and field work ! Nice having a field agent in South Africa for sure !!!

 

[CarolM]

Thanks so much Carol. This helps a lot! Really appreciate your time and field work ! Nice having a field agent in South Africa for sure !!!

Lol. You are welcome. I would never have called myself a field agent. But I will take it.[emoji1]

 

[CarolM]

I've been to World of Birds! My girlfriend took me there. They had a really cool exhibit with a giant Indian Hornbill that would land on the rail when it wasn't harassing the Bat-Eared Fox in its exhibit and let you pet it. They had lots and lots of Chersina out in a big grassy yard.

@Will Can you help with the ID here. You have a lot of experience with both species in question and I don't want to get it wrong again.

If you go look in the Cold Dark Room I posted quite a few pics that I took at the World of birds. Thought of you when taking the pics of the predator birds actually.

 

[CarolM]

I've been to World of Birds! My girlfriend took me there. They had a really cool exhibit with a giant Indian Hornbill that would land on the rail when it wasn't harassing the Bat-Eared Fox in its exhibit and let you pet it. They had lots and lots of Chersina out in a big grassy yard.

@Will Can you help with the ID here. You have a lot of experience with both species in question and I don't want to get it wrong again.

I missed the Chersina yard though. Hhmmff now I want to go back to look again.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

the padlopper and the chersina are very different. In this thread I have not seen anytortoise called out (to my best ability) incorrectly.

 

[CarolM]

the padlopper and the chersina are very different. In this thread I have not seen anytortoise called out (to my best ability) incorrectly.

Thank you @Will. Just want to confirm please, the tortoises (the four from the citrusdal area - they are all Chersina correct?) There is the one with the plastron scute (not sure if that is correct term) which is quite long, the other two Adults don't have as long a scute. Why is that?

 

[Sterant]

Thank you @Will. Just want to confirm please, the tortoises (the four from the citrusdal area - they are all Chersina correct?) There is the one with the plastron scute (not sure if that is correct term) which is quite long, the other two Adults don't have as long a scute. Why is that?

That scute (Gular Projection) is where the name Bowsprit comes from. Named after the Bow of a ship. Males develop these and are often quite pronounced - as you beautifully captured in that picture.

 

[Markw84]

the padlopper and the chersina are very different. In this thread I have not seen anytortoise called out (to my best ability) incorrectly.

@Will Don't you think those two in the picture @CarolM posted from the World of Birds sure look like Chersina Angulata. Certainly don't look like Homopus areolatus to me! Never have seen an H areolatus with those types of marginals. You're right they are pretty distinctive and it sure looks like they have two C angulata in the H areolatus enclosure!!

Homopus areolatus:

 

[CarolM]

@Will Don't you think those two in the picture @CarolM posted from the World of Birds sure look like Chersina Angulata. Certainly don't look like Homopus areolatus to me! Never have seen an H areolatus with those types of marginals. You're right they are pretty distinctive and it sure looks like they have two C angulata in the H areolatus enclosure!!

Homopus areolatus:

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I agree with you. The two at world of birds do not look anything like the padloper in the pics you posted.

 

[CarolM]

That scute (Gular Projection) is where the name Bowsprit comes from. Named after the Bow of a ship. Males develop these and are often quite pronounced - as you beautifully captured in that picture.

Thank you Dan for that. But why does only the one have such a pronounced Gular Projection compared to the other two?

 

[Sterant]

Thank you Dan for that. But why does only the one have such a pronounced Gular Projection compared to the other two?

I would have to go back and take a good look at the pictures, but my initial reaction would be that the other two are females, but let me check. Here is another male for comparison....

 

[CarolM]

I would have to go back and take a good look at the pictures, but my initial reaction would be that the other two are females, but let me check. Here is another male for comparison....
View attachment 230604

I wonder if the gular projection gets bigger and longer the older they are? As the male at home does not have as long as a gular projection as the one above.

 

[kingsley]

Great Pics Carol, thank you!!

 

[CarolM]

Great Pics Carol, thank you!!

You are very welcome.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

Thank you @Will. Just want to confirm please, the tortoises (the four from the citrusdal area - they are all Chersina correct?) There is the one with the plastron scute (not sure if that is correct term) which is quite long, the other two Adults don't have as long a scute. Why is that?

Give me a specific post number. I thought we were talking about post 63. In that post the tortoises that are on a sign that indicate a Homopus looks right to me .

If you are asking if the sign is indicating what's in a cage, and the Chersina in that same post (63) then I agree the two are Chersina.