Turtles & Tortoises

• You can tell the age of this tortoise by counting the rings on the scute of its shell!
• These tortoises are the largest tortoises in Africa.
• They get their name due to the overlapping scales and conical spurs on their legs.

Vulnerable. They are vulnerable due to habitat loss, over grazing of livestock, urbanization, and desertification. Juveniles are also captured for trade and because it takes them 15 years to reach maturity there is concern they will not be able to replenish their numbers in the wild. Listed on CITES Appendix II. They are not allowed to be captured and exported from the wild. In the United States, captive bred tortoises supply the domestic pet trade. They live in some protected areas. In Senegal, there is a breeding, information and protection center. Tortoises form the Netherlands have been sent back to Senegal.

• The wild lifespan of Aldabra tortoises is unknown. It is estimated that they can live anywhere from 100-150+ years. One zoo has reported their tortoise as being 176 years old.
• Tortoises are able to create their own unique habitat called “tortoise turf.” This is due to heavy grazing and is characterized by areas filled with a variety of grasses and herbs. Tortoises clear pathways and the grasses serve as hiding spots for smaller animals. They also aid in seed dispersal.
• There is a species of land hermit crab, Coenobita rugosus, which is dependent upon tortoise feces for food.

IUCN lists as a vulnerable species. These tortoises have dealt with threats in both the past and the present. Island tortoises were an important source of food to early sailors and many were hunted. They are presently faced with habitat loss and invasive predators. Of the three giant tortoises that are still alive in the area, they are the only ones still in the wild. Listed on CITES Appendix II. The Seychelles Island Foundation and the Seychelles National Parks and Conservancy Act are helping to protect and manage the remaining Aldabra tortoises. The island of Aldabra was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. There is a breeding program for these tortoises on Mauritius.

• Like other reptiles, box turtles must hibernate during cold winter weather. They burrow deep under the soil and leaves, sometime in October, and usually emerge in April or early May.
• Eastern box turtles can retain water better than aquatic turtles. This allows them to cope with short dry spells.

Habitat destruction has led to a decline of eastern box turtles in their former range. Throughout the past century, the conversion of woodlands and wetlands into agricultural land has extirpated populations where they once existed.

The rising demand for the development of suburban areas further exacerbates the decline by fragmenting the populations that are left. Because they are so energetic on land, these animals are often killed by vehicles traveling on roads that cross through their remaining habitats.

• They are named for the web-like pattern of yellow lines on the top of its shell.
• They are some of the smallest tortoises in the world. They are also the smallest tortoise species out of the four that are endemic to Madagascar.
• A female will lay one egg per clutch.
• During the dry season, the tortoises burrow into the ground among shrubs and grasses. There these little reptiles brumate, rather than truly hibernate. When it rains, the little tortoises come out of hiding, quench their thirst and devour the newly-emerged plants. 

The Northern Spider Tortoise is facing threats from habitat loss, illegal pet trade, and collection for the exotic pet market.

• Pancake tortoises are named for their thin, flat shells.
• They seem to get most of their water from the foods they eat.

The African Pancake Tortoise is currently facing threats from habitat destruction and the illegal pet trade. Conservation efforts are focused on protecting their natural habitat and regulating trade to ensure the survival of this species.

• They are named for the brownish-black coloration on their belly, which looks like a leaf and aids in camouflage.
• They are also called the Vietnamese leaf turtle or the black-breasted hill turtle.
• They live in forested hillsides and occasionally freshwater streams in southern China, Vietnam, and Laos.
• They are one of the smallest turtle species.
• This species is sexually dimorphic, which means males and females look distinctly different. Adult males have white irises and a longer, thicker tail than that of the females. Females tend to have a more striped pattern on the head.

Black Breasted Leaf Turtles are listed as Endangered. Conservation efforts for the Black-Breasted Leaf Turtle are crucial due to habitat loss and the pet trade. Preserving their natural habitats and addressing the illegal wildlife trade are key to ensuring their survival

• Egyptian tortoises are known for their small size, which is an excellent adaptation that allows them to easily regulate their temperature and avoid overheating.
• Females lay clutches of 1 to 5 eggs in shallow depressions beneath bushes or in abandoned rodent burrows.

Egyptian tortoises are listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. They are threatened by habitat loss, over-collection for the pet trade, and resource competition. Much of the tortoises’ former range has been developed into cities, resorts, and farmland, pushing tortoises and other desert animals out. 

Even though it is illegal in Egypt and internationally to capture or trade Egyptian tortoises, the species is not protected in Libya. Egyptian tortoises have been collected nearly to extinction and because of their low reproductive rate, do not bounce back easily in the wild.

• The radiated tortoise's shell has blood vessels and nerves so, like other tortoises, it can feel when it is being touched.
• Radiated tortoises can live for 40 to 50 years.

No estimates of wild populations are available, but their numbers are declining due to over-collection, and many authorities see the potential for a rapid decline to extinction in the wild. In China, some people will pay the equivalent of $50 for a radiated tortoise to eat.

They are also believed to have aphrodisiac properties. In Madagascar, radiated tortoises are sometimes given as wedding gifts. Despite laws protecting the species, traffic in tortoises from the south coast of Madagascar to the capital continues. Well over 1,000 specimens participate in captive breeding programs, which have shown great promise, in North America.

This species was assessed in 1996 by the IUCN Red List and is listed as vulnerable. It is also protected under a listing in the CITES Appendix III. In the United States, protections for the alligator snapping turtle vary from state to state, ranging from prohibitions on collecting wild individuals for commercial use and personal use to restrictions on commercial use. It is illegal to capture wild alligator snapping turtles in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri and Tennessee, and a permit is required in Alabama, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.

The largest threat facing alligator snapping turtles has been uncontrolled wild harvesting for their meat, unique shells and to sell as exotic pets. Because they are large and easy to capture, the turtles' meat is harvested for consumption in domestic and international markets. It was most popular in the 1970s and 1980s for use in canned soup.