Ecology of the steppe tortoise in the wild

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GeoTerraTestudo

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Here is a post based on Fritz Jurgen Obst's research on steppe tortoises in Central Asia. The following captions and photos are from his book:

Obst, Fritz Jurgen. 1988. Turtles, Tortoises, and Terrapins. St. Martin's Press: New York. 231 pp.

Caption: "The biotope of Horsfield's tortoise (Agrionemys [Testudo] horsfieldii) in Central Asia. The slopes of steppe-land hills, preferably with an eastern or south-eastern exposure, are the site of burrows in which the tortoises live. Larger mammals (porcupine, fox) like to extend tortoise burrows to make their own lairs. Egg-laying sites of tortoises are usually situated on higher, sunny slopes. The steppe valleys with their herbaceous vegetation serve as grazing grounds. Here, turtles come together for mating." (p. 85)

thorsfieldiibiotope.jpg


Caption: "Common co-inhabitants in the burrows of Horsfield's tortoise:
small mammals, e.g. ground squirrels and marmots
lizards, e.g. agamids and desert runner snakes, e.g. Tartar sand boas, desert colubrids or Levantine vipers
numerous arthropods:
scorpions, wasps, beetles" (p. 86)

thorsfieldiicommensal.jpg


Caption: "Four-toed tortoise (Agrionemys [Testudo] horsfieldi) in the desert region of Amu Darya [Turkmenistan]" (pp. 100-101)

thorsfieldiiphotowild.jpg


Caption: "Entry to a burrow. In front of it lies the shell of a hatched tortoise." (pp. 100-101)

thorsfieldiiphotoburrow.jpg


Caption: "Desert valley in South Tadzhikistan [Tajikistan], USSR. On the slopes are the burrows of the steppe tortoises." (pp. 100-101)

thorsfieldiiphotoslope.jpg
 

Spurtacus

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Great post

I wonder where I could find dirt/sand similar to that habitat, Id love to build a hillside and see how the russians take to it.
 

GeoTerraTestudo

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Spurtacus said:
Great post

I wonder where I could find dirt/sand similar to that habitat, Id love to build a hillside and see how the russians take to it.

Judging by how much they love to climb, I bet they'd love having a slope in their habitat. They appear to be quite well-adapted for it. :)

What I like about this chapter is it demonstrates that, like desert and sulcata tortoises, steppe tortoises do excavate true burrows themselves.
 

lynnedit

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Nice information!

I have some mounds in my outside area, now I will have to haul in small mountains, lol.
 
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