Russian tortoise
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Four-toed Tortoise ( Testudo horsfieldii ) in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
The Four-toed Tortoise ( Testudo horsfieldii ), also called steppe tortoise or Russian Tortoise, is a species of the family of tortoises, which is placed in the genus Testudo. Some scientists assign them to the mono generic genus Agrionemys. The turtle was first scientifically described in 1844 by John Edward Gray.
- 8.1 Notes and references
- 8.2 Literature
- 8.3 External links
Appearance
Characteristic of the Four-toed Tortoise is the oval to circular carapace, which is a whole lot flatter than all other Testudo species. The ranges in color from yellow to olive to brown or ocher with different sized dark spots. Very old animals can almost black (Afghanistan ), but also almost without markings yellow-brown. The soft parts are yellow to brown and sometimes even slightly greenish, the tail shield undivided and the sturdy front legs are, in contrast to the other Testudo species, basically only four toes that carry very strong claws. The tail ends in the male with a small horn nail. The species reaches a size of 15 cm (males) to about 25 cm, rarely 28 cm body length (females ) and weigh between one- half and two kilograms. In males the plastron is also concave, also viewed these a longer and thicker tail.
Distribution and habitat
The animals settle into four subspecies, the region east of the Caspian Sea via Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and south to eastern Iran, northern Afghanistan, Pakistan and West Balochistan, even into the western China. The main distribution area after it is a Asian Art There are, however, an occurrence south of Kuibyshev, so this would be the most northerly occurring Testudine. The Four-toed turtle is also called Steppe tortoise, because they occupied arid pronounced, partly stony tracts of land as well Lehmsteppen. A third name - namely Russian Tortoise - is still commonly know as the main export countries Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan for a long time part of the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union. From the seventies and eighties were up today and the animals are collected and exported in large quantities.
This habitat of steppe tortoise include clayey deserts, steppe areas in the vicinity of oases and grassy areas near springs and rivers.
Way of life
The powerful claws on strong front legs and the flat tank allow the Four-toed Tortoise digging up to four meters long passages that are used repeatedly. At night, in excessive heat during the summer and winter dormancy she withdraws into this, as they provide safety from predators and temperatures remain relatively constant in the earth. You often see them in the morning with uncertain weather waiting to sit at the cave entrance. In the area of distribution prevails summer hot and dry and winter wet and ice cold continental climate. This is characterized by large daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations of up to 40 ° C, where rains fail completely the midsummer over often. These circumstances require the animals in their barren habitats from an enormous adaptability.
The Hibernation lasts until the middle or end of March, and thus sometimes up to 6 months. So hard and cold winters, as quickly and seamlessly breaks the warm season beginning with an initially extensive plant abundance. Only three to five months are these turtles are available to feed, grow and reproduce. Already in the early summer, the high daytime temperatures and the incipient dryness make foraging during the day and more difficult, so that the morning and evening hours must be used for this purpose. In high summer it is hot and dry in many habitats that the animals withdraw because of food shortages and the heat of a one-to two -month summer rest ( aestivation ) and, if ever appear again until September. The short period of time until the winter rest, they again use the extensive foraging until they go mid to end of October due to the overnight, often very strong sub-zero temperatures back into hibernation. Especially Testudo horsfieldii is a turtle who settled enormous areas in the wild. 10 acres for a male and up to 30 acres for a female are common. Therefore, the turtles meet rarely. It is these circumstances make the steppe tortoise but to a highly specialized nature, which can not cope with the usual type of management of a European Landschildkrötenart permanently.
Reproduction
Whenever a male sees a female, it approaches wooing the female. With far outstretched neck and head and abnickendem of potential mates surrounded his chosen ones. Finally, it bites them in the front legs, to force them to keep still. The males usually have a much longer tail with a horny cock nail can cause when frequent mating attempts of the female serious injuries in the cloacal region. During copulation, the male assumes a nearly vertical position behind the females. At the same time, the male opens his mouth, the red fleshy tongue is visible, and it pushes beeping sounds. The females lay about two to four weeks after mating surprisingly large eggs, usually 2-5 (up to a maximum of 9 ) piece. In the form they are oblong- oval, about 35-40 mm long and 15-20 g in weight. The almost round young hatch in artificial incubation of eggs at 28-32 ° C after sixty to a maximum of 100 days. A single successful mating is enough to fertilize the eggs for several clutches. Because of this and because of the enormous, almost cumbersome pairing like the males, it is useful to keep in captivity males and females outside the actual mating season separated to ensure a stress-free attitude.
Food
The extremely meager natural living conditions are so strongly anchored in the animals that they also benefit in captivity everything to feed what they can achieve. Therefore, they are particularly prone to obesity greatly. This can go so far that the soft parts pour out of the tank and they eventually die from fatty liver. They also eat more at relatively low temperatures. Especially in the spring of their appetite is enormous. Therefore, the main food must be a controlled amount of a balanced mix of strong, high fiber wild herbs and hay produced therefrom. The lining should offer, the natural habitat correctly, the summer will always be less, rohfaserreicher. Is readily eaten dandelion, mallow, plantain, corn poppy, but also blackberry leaves, bellflower, campion, vetch, strawberry leaves and much more. Also, fibrous leek and leaves of linden or willow are gladly accepted. On salad should resort only in exceptional cases ( for fiber, vitamins and in minerals, rich in protein to ) - only a few varieties are almost suitable ( Romana, arugula, Italian giant dandelion). In the selection of forage plants in particular call to a high fiber content more than 20 percent and a relatively low protein content below 10 percent. Fruits and vegetables are not on the menu. Additionally, the animals are dependent on an adequate calcium supply. In nature, this occurs over mineral-rich soil, bones or shells. In captivity Sepiaschulp or boiled egg shells should be offered separately for gnawing, which simultaneously holds the horn beak in the right form.
Protection status and risk
Since 1975, this type is under the Washington Convention, where she was listed in Appendix II. The Wildlife Trade Regulation of the European Union lists the species in Appendix B. It follows that they may only be exchanged offspring and only with a certificate of origin to the owner, in which is shown, where and when the turtle was bred. Furthermore, the animals (free of charge =) within the EU at the locally competent conservation authorities reported.
IUCN, the Four-toed Tortoise is classified as " critically endangered ".
Comments
- The Four-toed turtle is by some scientists of the monotypic genus Agrionemys. attributed. Mostly it is but horsfieldii as Testudo. referred
- For this type a studbook is kept by the European Studbook Foundation.
Pictures
The scarce tanks facilitate digging in the ground. Thus, the soft tissues are particularly well visible.
Four strong toes
Not break through at the poles, but in the middle of the young animals the egg
Offspring: A significant center keel on the carapace is reminiscent of the appearance of earlier ancestors
The growth rings are light green at this Four-toed Tortoise
1.3 Agrionemys horsfieldii
The almost flat black plastron is typical of many specimens of Testudo horsfieldii