Speckled Padloper Tortoise
Encyclopedia
The speckled padloper or speckled Cape tortoise (Homopus signatus) is the world’s smallest tortoise
. It is endemic to South Africa
.
Homopus signatus is naturally restricted to a small area in Little Namaqualand, an arid region in the west of South Africa
. Here it lives on granite outcrops, where it forages among the rocks for the tiny succulent plants it eats.
The males measure 6 –, while females measure up to almost 10 centimetres (3.9 in); they weigh about 95 –. This species has a flattened shell with slightly serrated edges. The orange-brown shell is covered in hundreds of black spots. The males have a noticeably concave belly.
This tiny tortoise can be distinguished from the other padlopers by its speckles, and by five toes on its forefeet (unlike many of its relatives, which have four toes, on all four feet).
There are two main subspecies:
They are threatened by traffic on roads, overgrazing and poaching for the pet trade (Homopus species do not generally survive well in captivity). Another threat comes from introduced species, such as domestic dogs and pigs.
Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
. It is endemic to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Homopus signatus is naturally restricted to a small area in Little Namaqualand, an arid region in the west of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Here it lives on granite outcrops, where it forages among the rocks for the tiny succulent plants it eats.
The males measure 6 –, while females measure up to almost 10 centimetres (3.9 in); they weigh about 95 –. This species has a flattened shell with slightly serrated edges. The orange-brown shell is covered in hundreds of black spots. The males have a noticeably concave belly.
This tiny tortoise can be distinguished from the other padlopers by its speckles, and by five toes on its forefeet (unlike many of its relatives, which have four toes, on all four feet).
There are two main subspecies:
- The Namaqualand speckled padloper (Homopus signatus signatus) in the north, near the NamibiaNamibiaNamibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
n border. - The southern speckled padloper (Homopus signatus cafer, previously H. s. peersi) in the south, closer to Cape TownCape TownCape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
.
They are threatened by traffic on roads, overgrazing and poaching for the pet trade (Homopus species do not generally survive well in captivity). Another threat comes from introduced species, such as domestic dogs and pigs.