Chersobius
Chersobius | |
---|---|
Speckled Cape tortoise (Chersobius signatus) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Testudines |
Suborder: | Cryptodira |
Superfamily: | Testudinoidea |
Family: | Testudinidae |
Genus: | Chersobius Fitzinger, 1835 |
Chersobius is a genus of tiny tortoises in the family Testudinidae, endemic to southern Africa. The genus includes the smallest tortoises in the world. All three species were previously assigned to the genus Homopus.
Naming
As a group, these closely related species are commonly known in Europe and Africa as padlopers (originally meaning "path-walkers" in Afrikaans), due to their habit of making tiny pathways through vegetation.[1][2] In other parts of the world, such as the United States, they are known as Cape tortoises.
Distribution
The genus is indigenous and endemic to southern Africa, one within South Africa, one only in Namibia, and one possibly spanning across the border region of both countries.
Species
The genus contains these species:
Image | Common Name | Scientific name | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|
Karoo padloper or Boulenger's cape tortoise | C. boulengeri | Karoo region[3] | |
speckled padloper or speckled tortoise | C. signatus | South African west coast region, the smallest tortoise species in the world | |
Nama padloper or Berger's cape tortoise, previously H. bergeri | C. solus | southern Namibia[4] |
Conservation and captivity
They are threatened by habitat destruction, traffic on roads, overgrazing, and poaching for the pet trade.[3]
Among the Chersobius species, C. signatus adapts well to captivity, as their diets are not highly specialized.[2] The others do not generally survive well in captivity unless some effort is made to supply them with their natural food, that is, endemic plants from the Cape/Karoo regions.[2] Many are taken from their natural habitat each year, and subsequently die as a result, as they do not readily adapt to typical captive diets and environment change.[2] However, they can be very hardy in captivity, and most problems with captive care are caused by faulty nutrition, high humidity, or bad husbandry.[2]
References
- ^ "Homopus Research Foundation, reports". Home.caiway.nl. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
- ^ a b c d e Corton, M., Homopus (Padloper Tortoise) Care, World Chelonian Trust (retrieved August 20, 2013).
- ^ a b "Homopus Research Foundation". Home.caiway.nl. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
- ^ "Nama Padloper Tortoise | Namibia". Namibian.org. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
- v
- t
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- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Reptilia
- Subclass: Anapsida
- Order: Testudines
- Suborder: Cryptodira
- Superfamily: Testudinoidea
- Family: Testudinidae
Species of the tortoise family |
- Aldabra giant tortoise (subspecies:
- A. g. arnoldi
- †A. g. daudinii
- A. g. hololissa)
- †Aldabrachelys abrupta
- †Aldabrachelys grandidieri
- Chaco tortoise
- Red-footed tortoise
- Yellow-footed tortoise
- †Chelonoidis alburyorum
- †Chelonoidis cubensis
- †Chelonoidis lutzae
- †Chelonoidis monensis
- †Chelonoidis sellovii
- †Chelonoidis sombrerensis
- Cerro Azul giant tortoise
- Chatham Island giant tortoise
- Eastern Santa Cruz tortoise
- Fernandina Island tortoise
- †Floreana Island tortoise
- Hood Island giant tortoise (Diego)
- Santa Fe Island tortoise
- †Pinta Island tortoise †(Lonesome George)
- Santiago Island giant tortoise
- Pinzón Island giant tortoise
- Sierra Negra giant tortoise
- Volcán Alcedo giant tortoise
- Volcán Darwin giant tortoise
- Volcán Wolf giant tortoise
- Western Santa Cruz tortoise
- †Cheirogaster bacharidisi
- †Cheirogaster gymnesica
- †Cheirogaster schafferi
- †Hadrianus corsoni
- †Hadrianus majusculus
- †Hadrianus octonaria
- †Hadrianus robustus
- †Hadrianus schucherti
- †Hadrianus utahensis
- †Hadrianus vialovi
- †Stylemys botti
- †Stylemys calaverensis
- †Stylemys canetotiana
- †Stylemys capax
- †Stylemys conspecta
- †Stylemys copei
- †Stylemys emiliae
- †Stylemys frizaciana
- †Stylemys karakolensis
- †Stylemys nebrascensis
- †Stylemys neglectus
- †Stylemys oregonensis
- †Stylemys pygmea
- †Stylemys uintensis
- †Stylemys undabuna
- Hermann's tortoise
- Kleinmann's tortoise
- Marginated tortoise
- Spur-thighed tortoise
- †Testudo brevitesta