tortoise range?

[CharlieM]

Hi, What is a natural range for an individual tortoise? I don't mean a range for a species but a single tortoise. How many square feet or miles does a lone tortoise travel and consider it's home range? When I read about enclosures often times it says "X amount should be plenty for a hatchling or pair or single" but does anyone really now how much a tortoise travels? I am referring to redfoots which don't migrate or hibernate so all of their needs are met in a single area year-round. I understand a hatchling's range would be extremely small while they spend time hiding from predators but what about adults? Any thoughts?

 

[jeffbens0n]

I don't have a specific answer for you or even a guess, but I would think it also depends on several variable such as food sources, shelter/hides, weather. They would likely venture into new areas if one of those variables changes in the area that they are in.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

I don't have a specific answer for you or even a guess, but I would think it also depends on several variable such as food sources, shelter/hides, weather. They would likely venture into new areas if one of those variables changes in the area that they are in.

Yes, there are many variables involved, but average figures are available.

According to Lagarde et al. (2003), the home range of a steppe tortoise averages about 24 hectares (59 acres) for males, and about 57 hectares (140 acres) for females (see attached).

The home range for box turtles is much smaller: more like about a hectare (2.5 acres) or less.

 

[jeffbens0n]

Interesting! I had actually heard that before about the box turtles...crazy to think that is all the farther they might travel their whole lives.

 

[CharlieM]

I wonder if males and females have different ranges?

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

I wonder if males and females have different ranges?

IIRC, male and female box turtles have similar range sizes, again, both around 2 acres. But as I mentioned above, male steppe tortoises have a home range of around 50 acres, and females over 100 acres. I am not sure about the ranges of other tortoises, but I hope people will chime in if they know.

BTW - It's interesting that female steppe tortoises have home ranges more than twice the size of males', considering how much more active male steppe tortoises are. Lagarde et al. (2002) showed that male steppe tortoises have proportionately longer legs than females, and walk faster. It turns out that females leisurely walk around the perimeter of their territory to forage, while males crisscross theirs to forage, court females, and fight other males. So, even though females have bigger home ranges, males walk around a lot more.

 

[drgnfly2265]

I wonder if males and females have different ranges?

IIRC, male and female box turtles have similar range sizes, again, both around 2 acres. But as I mentioned above, male steppe tortoises have a home range of around 50 acres, and females over 100 acres. I am not sure about the ranges of other tortoises, but I hope people will chime in if they know.

BTW - It's interesting that female steppe tortoises have home ranges more than twice the size of males', considering how much more active male steppe tortoises are. Lagarde et al. (2002) showed that male steppe tortoises have proportionately longer legs than females, and walk faster. It turns out that females leisurely walk around the perimeter of their territory to forage, while males crisscross theirs to forage, court females, and fight other males. So, even though females have bigger home ranges, males walk around a lot more.

Wow, that is interesting. Learn something new everyday

 

[lynnedit]

Yes, once again, really interesting. I can confirm that my little male is constantly patrolling his enclosure, while the 2 females tend to walk then bask then graze. Not terribly scientific, but fun to watch, lol.

 

[Madkins007]

Are ya ready for this?

Source:
MOSKOVITZ, Debra. "The Behavior and Ecology of the Two Amazonian Tortoises, Geochelone carbonaria and Geochelone denticulata, in Northwestern Brazil". (PhD Dissertation) University of Chicago, 1985.

Quote #1:
"The sizes of the areas used by individual tortoises ranged from 0.63 to 117.5 ha [note- 1 ha is 10,000 square meters], or almost 200 fold (Table 21). Even within the same species and sex classes, the sizes varied widely (78 fold for female, and 132 fold for male carbonaria). Ranging areas were not related to the size of the individuals nor to the season when they were followed (Table 21). To facilitate comparisons among individuals followed for different lengths of time, only individuals followed for more than 20 days were included in the analyses and in Table 21. Note that size of area was not related to the number of days the individual had been followed (rs=0.21, p=0.31)."

Boiled down: Regardless of size, time of year, etc., the ranges vary a lot, although apparently males tend to vary more than females. This runs from about 7,500 to 1,400,000 square yards or about 1/4 to 1/2 square mile. Around here, that would be a space equal to about 12 blocks by either 3 to 6 blocks.

Quote #2:
"Consistent through the literature on terrestrial turtles, is the great variability among individuals in the sizes of areas used (see Stickel 1950, Legler 1960, Dolbeer 1969, Schwartz and Schwartz 1974, Burge 1977, Judd and Rose 1983, Kiester et al. 1981, Swingland 1983). This variation was fully expressed among both Geochelone in Maraca, where areas of activity over similar periods of time ranged from 0.63 to 117.5 ha. Unlike the Gopherus species, which, because of the dangers of overheating or desiccation, are confined to small areas around the periphery of one or two central burrows (see Auffenberg and Iverson 1979, McRae et al. 1981), or Geochelone gigantea individuals, which are similarly confined to small areas around the scarce shade trees in Aldabra, the two Geochelone species at Maraca were able to range freely, throughout the day, under the protective shade of the forest canopy. This probably explains, at least in part, the higher degree of individual variation observed among these tortoises, not only in the level but also in the timing of non-reproductive activities. Interestingly, no testudinid is reported to be regularly active at night, not even in the mild temperatures of the tropics (Douglass and Layne 1978, Swingland and Lessells 1979., Bertram 1979b, and current study; but see Woodbury and Hardy 1948). The maximum rates of advance reported here for the two Geochelone species greatly exceed those reported for other land turtles (see Bertram 1979 a and b, Schwartz and Schwartz 1974). Long, sustained and directed movements, however, were clearly demonstrated by Kiester et al. (1982) for T. carolina, by Bertram (1979b) for G. pardalis, and by Swingland and Lessells (1979) for G. gigantea (up to 25.5 km). As suggested by Swingland (1977, 1983), Swingland and Lessells (1979), and Kiester et al. (1982), these long moves may represent important alternative strategies in reproduction and/or in the use of available resources."

In other words- Red-foots have some of the largest known ranges.

 

[Tom]

I don't know what the wild ranges are, but my sulcatas march around for miles a day. They are on a five acre ranch and just walk up and own it all day long.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Are ya ready for this?

Source:
MOSKOVITZ, Debra. "The Behavior and Ecology of the Two Amazonian Tortoises, Geochelone carbonaria and Geochelone denticulata, in Northwestern Brazil". (PhD Dissertation) University of Chicago, 1985.

...

Boiled down: Regardless of size, time of year, etc., the ranges vary a lot, although apparently males tend to vary more than females. This runs from about 7,500 to 1,400,000 square yards or about 1/4 to 1/2 square mile. Around here, that would be a space equal to about 12 blocks by either 3 to 6 blocks.

...

In other words- Red-foots have some of the largest known ranges.

Great post. Very informative. So it looks like, although their ranges vary considerably, a redfoot tortoise's range can be as much as twice the size of a Russian tortoise's range.

Also, it's interesting to note that in redfoot tortoises, it's the male that can have the bigger range, while in Russians, it's the female. Also, in redfoots (and most tortoises) the male is bigger, while in Russians (and other Testudos) it is the female that is the bigger sex. Actually, it looks like the range of redfoots might follow a similar pattern to that of most mammals: the males have bigger territories that overlap the smaller territories of several adjacent females, with whom they mate. This is not the case in Russians (and perhaps in other testudos), where it is the female's range that overlaps the smaller ranges of several males.

That is probably due to constraints of living in temperate, semi-arid regions. The redfoot has the "luxury" of nearly constant temperature year round, so the males can devote more energy to getting bigger so they can fight other males, and walking far and wide in search of mates (rather like a mammal). In contrast, because the growing season is so short in the Central Asian steppes (only about 3 months), male Russian tortoises allocate more of their energy toward patrolling small territories, and less of their energy toward growth.

BTW - A note on terminology. "Range" or "home range" is defined as an area an animal is usually found in, while "territory" is an area that an animal defends, and prevents other animals from entering, so that it can defend some resource (food, water, mates). I think female Russian tortoises have a range, but male Russian tortoises have territories. It's probably similar for box turtles. I don't know about redfoot tortoises, though; do they defend their area?

 

[CharlieM]

...

[/quote]
BTW - A note on terminology. "Range" or "home range" is defined as an area an animal is usually found in, while "territory" is an area that an animal defends, and prevents other animals from entering, so that it can defend some resource (food, water, mates).
[/quote]

I totally agree but couldn't think of the word territory when I asked. Thanks!

 

[Madkins007]

Geo- I believe Yellow-foots, the true forest species with more limited resources in many ways, does indeed defend territory, but I do not recall reading that Red-foots do.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Geo- I believe Yellow-foots, the true forest species with more limited resources in many ways, does indeed defend territory, but I do not recall reading that Red-foots do.

They certainly seem more tolerant of each other, both in the wild and captivity. I've read (in other Moskovits papers, I believe) about how they aggregate around trees that are dropping their fruits. Either there are times of the year, or certain areas where they let their guard down, or else they're never really territorial to begin with.

 

[fbsmith3]

I love learning information like this, but it makes me feel guilty for keeping them.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

I love learning information like this, but it makes me feel guilty for keeping them.

Yeah, I know what you mean. The more natural you can make their environment, the better. Except for shell-crushing carnivores; they don't like that part of their natural environment.