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Thursday, 25 September 2014
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
The end of an era
Torti, the Leopard Tortoise (also known as the Mountain Tortoise)
I took Torti to be released in the Krugersdorp Game Reserve today. She arrived in 2008, no bigger than my hand and probably 2 or 3 years old, Now she's almost 10 and will be reaching sexual maturity soon and I feel it is time for her to meet some of her own kind. I wish you well and hope you're happy in your new home Torti!
Some stats : length 48cm, width across her shell 48cm, height 28cm, weght approx. 15kg.
Destined for the pot or possibly muti (a term for traditional medicine in Southern Africa), I confiscated her from the aggressor and brought her home. My intention was to release here into a safe environment, but these are becoming less and less due to the area becoming heavily built-up over the last decade.
Torti enjoying her breakfast, a mix of lettuce, celery, carrots, apple, baby marrows, brocolli and some Echeveria leaves
The Leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) or Mountain Tortoise face many dangers like illegal trade in wildlife, body
parts being used in traditional medicines, veld fires, road kills and
many more. So, right or wrong, she has stayed with me over the past
seven years in the hope that some day I will find a perfect area in
which to release her. In the meantime, she comes when I call her every
morning for breakfast, taking her time and making me wait while she
unhurriedly approaches and then digging in with gusto!
Torti relaxing in her enclosure
Torti's enclosure
They are large tortoises (largest species in South Africa) that can weigh over 30kg and measure up to 60cm in length. Males have longer tails and a deep plastron (Bottom of shell) concavity as opposed to the females which have short tails and a flat plastron. Colouration is varied and the African Leopard Tortoise typically lives 80 to 100 years.
Lydia feeding Torti
Torti basking in the sun
Read more here on how to CARE FOR YOUR LEOPARD TORTOISE
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