Marek Harvan Typical for
Marek Harvan Typical for all species is a walking posture with the shell held high above the ground with legs fully extended. Unlike adults, hatchlings do not have a movable hinge. This hinge, which helps them to close the carapace to the plastron, develops within the first few years. The best studied species are Kinixys belliana, Kinixys homeana and Kinixys erosa. Kinixys natalensis, Kinixys lobatsiana and Kinixys spekii have been little studied; we have only scant information about their life history. Key to the species of Kinixys Kinixys belliana, Kinixys belliana nogueyi, Kinixys lobatsiana, Kinixys natalensis and Kinixys spekii inhabit the boundary between forest and savanna and also savanna. These four species and one subspecies are similar to each other, but there are several characteristics differentiating them. Kinixys homeana and Kinixys erosa live only in tropical rainforest around the equator. These two species can be differentiated from other species of the genus based on their life history characteristics and physical appearance. Kinixys belliana belliana: The shell is robust and can reach up to 220 mm. The ratio between height and length of the shell is 1:2.3. The nuchal scute is always present and is very narrow. The front feet have five claws. Species 2000 2001 Kinixys belliana Kinixys homeana Kinixys erosa 17,290 pcs. 22,088 pcs. 5,340 pcs. 11,808 pcs. 2,130 pcs. 2,520 pcs. Tab. 1. Overwiev of export of Kinixys from Africa in 2000 and 2001. Kinixys belliana nogueyi: The same shell shape as Kinixys belliana belliana, but the front feet has only four claws. Kinixys lobatsiana: The same shell shape as Kinixys belliana, with a carapace length to 200 mm. The marginal scutes from the ninth back are serrated and the scutes are turned upward. Kinixys natalensis: The smallest of the Kinixys, with a maximum carapace length of 155 mm. It doesn´t have a well developed hinge. The shell looks compact compared to the other Kinixys species. It has three denticulations on the upper jaw, whereas only one is present in all other Kinixys species. Kinixys spekii: It has an elongated shell up to 200 mm, which doesn’t broaden in the rear part and therefore is not wedge shaped. The back is flat; the pectoral scutes on the plastron are broad. Kinixys belliana belliana This species may hibernate within its home range, buried in burrows of other animals or in termite nests. Activity resumes with the arrival of warm rain. It prefers wet habitat to dry places. Distribution It has the widest distribution of all Kinixys species, from the northeast to the southern parts of Africa. In Sudan it occurs in wet areas along the White Nile, then through Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Swaziland and South Africa. Kinixys belliana belliana inhabits tropical riparian forests and shrub areas in southern Africa. It isn’t present in colder inland areas. Its occurrence is also documented in northern and southern parts of Madagascar. Similar to 12 RADIATA 16 (4), 2007
The genus Kinixys Kinixys belliana noguei, it inhabits green savanna, but also areas where forests meet with shrubby areas. Description Kinixys belliana belliana is the second largest tortoise in southern Africa. It can reach up to 220 mm in carapace length, 90-110 mm in carapace height, and weight of 1.5-2 kg. It has an elongated shell, extended in the back. The highest point of the carapace is between the third and fourth vertebral scutes. The carapace contains five vertebral scutes, one undivided supracaudal scute and 11 to 12 marginal scutes on each side. If it has 12 marginal scutes, the hinge is between the eighth and ninth peripheral scutes (instead of seventh and eighth). The nuchal scute is narrow and long. Axillary scutes are small, the inguinal scutes are prominent, and the anal scute is small. The shell rim is smooth. Color variability is high in this species, from yellow to dark brown. They may be uniformly colored to nicely patterned. The background color on the carapace is pale brown, with dark brown to cinnamon patterning in the center of every scute, especially on vertebral and pleural scutes. Some specimens, without pattern are yellow-green or sand colored. The pattern disappears in older specimens. The head is of moderate size with elongated shape and without strong patterning. It is non-projecting and the upper jaw is not hooked. The eyes are dark. The front limbs bear pale-colored scutes. Soft parts of the body are colored cream to pale brown, occasionally with a gray-green shade. The front limbs have five claws; the hind limbs with four claws. Males and females are the same size. However, the shell is two-thirds wider in females than it is in males. Also, the rear part of the carapace is vertical and the scutes are straight in females as compared to males. In males, the marginal scutes are slightly turned up. Unlike females, males have a concave plastron and Fig. 2. Juvenile Kinixys homeana. a longer, thicker tail that they always hold to the side. The anal notch is not prominent in either sex. Climate Note The climatic conditions (temperature, humidity, light cycle) are almost the same for Kinixys belliana belliana as they are for Kinixys belliana nogueyi. The only difference is that Kinixys belliana belliana may hibernate in parts of southern Africa where temperature drops to 12-14 °C. Diet Kinixys belliana belliana are omnivorous. According to field observations, they eat ants, beetles, snails and carrion. Otherwise, their diet is similar to that of Kinixys belliana nogueyi. Kinixys belliana belliana in captivity Kinixys belliana belliana is not kept as commonly as Kinixys belliana nogueyi. However, their husbandry requirements are the samei. Hibernation in captivity is induced by providing a dry environment and lowering the temperature. In the wild, hibernation occurs from May to August. However, in captivity the tortoises may reverse, their annual cycle so that they hibernate during the winter months and are active during spring and summer. RADIATA 16 (4), 2007 13
