Tortoise Species

[Arizona Sulcata]

Does anyone know what the smallest tortoise species is? Just randomly curious. And how big do they get at full size?

 

[dmmj]

the speckled padloper I believe like 4 inches max size

 

[jkingler]

Wikipedia agrees with you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speckled_Padloper_Tortoise

World's smallest.

If these ever become captive bred and someone figures out how to help them thrive in captivity, I'll have found a new dream tortoise...

 

[GBtortoises]

Wikipedia agrees with you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speckled_Padloper_Tortoise

World's smallest.

If these ever become captive bred and someone figures out how to help them thrive in captivity, I'll have found a new dream tortoise...

Speckled Capes do thrive in captivity, very well actually. Some of the other Homopus subspecies have reputation of doing poorly. But I think that is based on old knowledge and understanding of keeping them in captivity. Many species that used to be thought of as "impossible to keep alive" in captivity 20-30 years ago are now being very successfully maintained and bred in captivity.
I had a pair of Homopus signatus signatus along with a single male H. s. cafer back in the late 80's-early 90's. In addition to them I also had a group of 2.4 Homopus areolatus, the Parrot Beak tortoises. None of them were as are not now, common in captivity. Field studies claim that they are not rare at all in the wild. They just inhabit a very small, very environmentally specific habitat (much like Pancake tortoises). However I think all the Homopus genus are afforded legal protection along with Tent tortoises, Psammobates.

I would love to have some Speckled Capes again. I heard rumors of a few available a couple of years ago at about $1,500-2,000 each. Pretty expensive for sure. But consider that I paid something like $400-450 each over 20 years ago!

They are absolutely awesome tortoises!

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Love that Wiki photo of them from the Prague Zoo, with the female eating and mating at the same time:

 

[Arizona Sulcata]

Thanks for the info everyone! Crazy pic... They look like babies!

 

[jkingler]

They are absolutely awesome tortoises!
What would a caresheet for these little guys look like (diet, humidity and temperature, etc.)? And could you describe the personalities of the pair you had?

They are currently joining Aldabras and Emys^2 in my "Oh yes, [they] will be mine" category!

 

[tortuga_please]

It would be interesting to take a photo of one on the shell of a galop just for fun

 

[GBtortoises]

There is a group called the Homopus Research Foundation. I can't recall the web address. As well as captive care articles on sites like Tortoise Trust, California Turtle & Tortoise Club and www.chelonia.org

I kept mine basically like many people keep Pancake tortoises now. But back then, species specific care was not as advanced as it is now. If I had them now, I would probably keep them differently.

In one of the older books I have there is a photo of Speckled Cape perched on top of a large Leopard tortoise, quite a contrast!

 

[Madkins007]

(snip)
Field studies claim that they are not rare at all in the wild. They just inhabit a very small, very environmentally specific habitat (much like Pancake tortoises). However I think all the Homopus genus are afforded legal protection along with Tent tortoises, Psammobates.
(snip)

I believe the very restricted territory is one of the concerns they remain on protected species status lists. If I recall correctly, there was a fire on a ranch several years back that was smack dab in the middle of the prime range and many tortoises were killed.

That was a shame, this is such a cool species!