Caring for your Leopard Tortoise

Torti

It’s a late-Autumn afternoon and the day is balmy. It’s just after 3pm and in a couple of hours it will be cold, that nip that is not yet icy yet but cold enough to send my tortoise, her name is Torti and she’s a Leopard Tortoise, scuttling for some shelter. And she doesn’t surface until late the next morning, weather permitting and if there’s lots of sunshine. Hibernation is close for her and soon she will only venture out for short periods during the next couple of winter months.



Whilst tortoises in our climate here in South Africa do not strictly “hibernate”, they do go through a “slowdown” of all activity. They will sleep more and eat less and generally just “park off” each day. Some will dig themselves into a “burrow” and remain there for long periods. Besides cover that I offer, Torti has several places in her enclosure where she prefers to spend the colder days. Other than a general health check every now and again, I leave her alone but do check daily to see if she might have come out and then offer her some food.


One of Torti’s hide-outs


Another one of Torti’s hide-outs

Torti was rescued from certain death, as she was destined for the pot, having been caught by some locals, who also use certain body parts of tortoises for “muti”. (Muti is a term for traditional medicine in Southern Africa as far north as Lake Tanganyika. The word muti is derived from the Zulu word for tree, of which the root is -thi. In Southern Africa, the word muti is in widespread use in most indigenous African languages, as well as in South African English and Afrikaans where it is sometimes used as a slang word for medicine in general.)

She arrived scarcely bigger than my hand and in the 7 years she has been with me, has grown to a fair size.



Besides the fact that I enjoy her company, the only reason she is still with me is the fact that I’m afraid she will be caught again as well as the raging veld fires we have every winter, which almost certainly means death for any tortoises in its path.


Torti’s enclosure – 28m x 10m

If you are considering keeping a tortoise, these large tortoises need a large area if confined in an enclosure, though it is preferable to give them the run of your garden if possible. If you cannot do this (which I couldn’t, nothing was safe from Torti’s voracious appetite, especially the Echeverias!) and have to construct an enclosure, work on a minimum of a 6m x 4m area for two tortoises.



Tortoises are wanderers and in the wild occupy a home range of from 1 to 3 square kilometres. Few sights are more pathetic than seeing one trudge endlessly around the perimeter of its pen in either dust or mud, compliments of the weather.


Torti’s enclosure last summer – lots of indigenous grasses to feed on as well is Kikuyu

The area should be sunny, and well planted with different grasses and plants for natural feeding. A lack of exercise leads to muscular problems and should be avoided. An arid grassy area is much preferred, with dry sandy areas for sunbathing. This tortoise requires large amounts of grasses in its diet, and it is a common mistake in captivity to feed exclusively on ‘wet’ kitchen food. On the correct diet their droppings should be well formed and fibrous.

Just a short note on safety – please check your enclosure regularly for any bits of plastic, plastic bags, bits of string or any other harmful objects that might somehow end up in the enclosure that could harm your tortoise.



A thatched umbrella in Torti’s enclosure offers me a space where I can sit and enjoy Torti’s antics, do a couple of sketches and Torti often utilises the shade here during the hottest summer days.



Some Leopard tortoises will utilize a sleeping area constructed out of poles with a roof, or a drum on its side, but many, like Torti, prefer to creep under large grassy plants such as Pampas grass, where they are sheltered from any adverse weather. However, she is often found in her Zulu hut, above, either sheltering from the sun or on very cold days.



They are commonly kept as pets and adapt well to captivity in most areas barring coastal Natal where the humidity affects them adversely. But it is of the utmost importance that you pay close attention to their diet and keep it as natural as possible. It is a common mistake in captivity to feed exclusively on ‘wet’ kitchen food. Too much kitchen food leads to diarrhoea and other digestive problems and should be avoided. On no account should dog/cat food be provided – these are high in protein which results in shell deformities and in the long term, in kidney disease. In the veld, the leopard tortoise will stuff its huge body with just about anything it comes across, be it grasses, succulents, aloes, fungi, wild fruits and berries, millipedes, snails, faeces (especially an hyena’s), reptile and birds’ eggs and the corpses of small animals such as frogs and mice.


Torti having breakfast under the thatch umbrella

There is a lot of diet information for your tortoise on the internet, but a diet that has served me well for the past 7 years that Torti has been with me, is as follows :

Lettuce –
although the general consensus is to NOT feed lettuce, lettuce is high in nitrates and is converted in the mouth into compounds that produce nitric oxide – a potent antibacterial chemical. The “disinfectant” effect of this chemical was tested and salivary production was high enough to kill even E.coli 0157 (the deadly bacterium that is so often responsible for outbreaks of food poisoning). Along with a good balanced diet it can actually be beneficial in small portions. What is NOT recommended is a diet of lettuce alone as this will not provide all the nutrients your tortoise needs.

Celery – both the stalks and the leaves

Carrots

Baby Marrow

Apple – in small amounts as it is considered a “soft” food

Chopped cooked chicken – I have heard that you can give them the bones, but I don’t, too scared they might get stuck in her throat, especially chicken bones.

Sliced cucumber

Sliced butternut/pumpkin

2 or 3 Echeveria elegans leaves

Kalanchoe

Geranium leaves

Raw egg and some egg shell



Not all of this is offered in one go – I take turns using 5 or 6 of the ingredients for one meal, which is normally served early in the morning.


Indigenous grasses

In addition, she has access to various grasses and weeds in her enclosure, including Kikiyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum), Dew grass (Eragrostis pseudo-obtusa), Beesgras (Urochloa pantcoides), Dandelion (Taraxacum) and Veld grass (Ehrhartacalycina).


Dandelion


Salsify

Weeds like Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion), Tribulis terrestris (common dubbeltjie), Salsify and Galinsoga parviflora (Small flowered quickweed) is also available in her enclosure.

A further variety of foods includes a variety of leafy greens such as collard greens, mustard greens, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, hibiscus leaves and flowers, green onions, spinach, green beans, zucchini, frozen mixed vegetables, timothy hay, and alfalfa. They can also be fed almost any other vegetables. Fruits should only make up about 10% of their diet.



The pond has is very shallow on all sides, offering rocks and logs to make climbing out easily in case of an emergency and gradually deepens towards the centre.

Leopard tortoises readily drink standing water. A shallow water dish may be provided, but check it daily, and clean it as required. The size of the water dish doesn’t really matter, however it shouldn’t be too deep where the tortoise could get stuck in the dish. Torti has access to fresh water in a dish as well as the pond which is situated in her enclosure. Leopard tortoises love to swim and, judging by the length of time Torti often spends in the water, she loves it!


Torti basking on a sunny sand spot

Leopard tortoises (Geochelone pardalis pardalis) live between 50 and 100 years in the wild and can weigh as much as 100 pounds (about 45kgs) and measure 26 inches (68cm) front to back. The difference between a male and female tortoise is the male has a cup-like depression toward the forward half of the plastron (the bottom shell or “stomache”). It’s there so he can mount the female without having to stand on his tail to fertilize her. The female’s plastron, like Torti’s, is flat.



Torti also shares here enclosure with a frequent visitor – Molly, the Mole Snake. She is extremely welcome as we have a real problem with rats. After Molly’s stay of a couple of days, there is nary a rat to be seen anywhere!



In late Autumn and winter, the indigenous grasses offer Torti lots of shelter from the elements. Only the Kikuyu grass is mowed, the rest is allowed to grow wild.

It is of course against the law to keep reptiles in captivity without a permit and in happier instances the owner of a newly acquired tortoise will apply for one. An official from Nature Conservation will then make sure that the facilities in which the reptile is to be kept are adequate and that the captive will be fed a proper diet.

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Speckled Mousebird

Two Speckled Mousebirds (Colius striatus) having a go at an apple I put out regularly for all the fruit-eating birds in my garden.

A few years back I had rescued a baby Mousebird that had dropped from its nest. It became very tame and stayed with me for almost a year before joining a mate in the garden.  It turned out to be a most wonderful year in my life. She was adorable and loving, clinging to my chest as I worked in the garden, sometimes jumping down to have a sand bath. Did you know Mousebirds don’t bathe in water like other birds? They scrabble in the sand like chickens, getting a good exfoliation and rid of any parasites they might pick up.

Mousebirds get their name from their soft fluffy greyish or brownish feathers that are more like fur than feathers, a long thin tail that is twice the length of their body, and they have mouse-like habits; scurrying around in brush and trees in search of food. They are highly intelligent, curious, and playful.

Mousebirds are also quite fearless; they will chase any birds already feeding on the apple and completely ignore the (very aggressive) Fiscal Shrike, at their own peril, I sometimes think!

:;

Land slugs

Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc.

A Slug feeding on a little piece of mushroom I offered him.

Slugs aren't toxic (and are mostly just meat and skin), they in fact have no way of harming you unless you eat them. Considering that you are a rational human being who doesn't put slimy, gross bugs into your mouth, this shouldn't be a problem. It may, however, be an issue for your pets.

Slugs provide a crucial food source for other wildlife (Thrushes just love them!) andmany species are key composters, helping to breakdown decomposing vegetation. Unlike snails, they are not a serious threat to your garden plants, coming out of hiding after dark in search of food, mostly decomposing vegetation as mentioned above. If you have paving in your garden, you will often see the silver, slimy trails they leave behind.

Bread is not actually good for slugs or snails, but she managed to snag this little piece before I could remove it. Please also note that salt is CERTAIN DEATH for slugs and snails, so if you are interested in having these fascinating little creatures in your garden, please do not feed anything containing salt. Thank you. 

When in motion, it is about 35 to 50mm (1.5 inches long). Adult slugs overwinter and can lay clutches of eggs when environmental conditions are right. A slug's life expectancy is from 6 - 12 months, according to Google, and some up to 18 months.

Slug eating mushroom — see breathing hole (pneumostome) on right-hand shoulder.

I decided to keep Ms. Slug overnight and after she’d had her fill of mushroom and lettuce, my slug decided to have a nap. However, after about 3 hours she started walking around (or should I say sliding), so I released her back into the garden. 

Slugs will sleep on and off for several hours at a time but then might stay awake for 30 hours without a break.

It has been about a week since our first encounter and since then she’s appeared every evening at dusk, snacking on the mushrooms and other vegetables I leave out for her.  

Image from Wiki

Close up, admire the telescopic eye and feeler stalks on the head; peer into the large breathing hole, or pneumostome, down the right side of the body (like snails, slugs are not bilaterally symetrical); and admire the rhythmic muscular ripples on its belly as a large, moist slug glides smoothly and effortlessly up a sheet of glass.

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Giant African Land Snail

 

A Giant African Snail (Lissachatina fulica) found in my garden. KwaZulu Natal is South Africa’s Texas, everything is bigger! 

This is one of the most damaging snails in the world because it consumes at least 500 types of plants and can cause structural damage to plaster and stucco structures. This snail can also carry a parasitic nematode that can lead to meningitis in humans.

However, Google says “snail therapy” is suitable for both young and aging skin, helps to fight a variety of aesthetic defects. Reviews indicate that Achatina mucus has a beneficial effect on the skin and does not cause side effects.

7-10 cm (3-4 in.) (Shell length)

Gaudy Commodore

Precis octavia male or Gaudy Commodore in my garden. The wingspan of the Gaudy Commodore is 50-63 mm, and the colours of the males and females are the same. The females lay eggs on shoots of specific host plants, mostly grassland plants in the mint family, including Plectranthus, which is obviously why it chose to visit me. 

The Gaudy Commodore breeds twice a year and the subspecies Precis octavia sesamus has a wet season form and a dry season form. In this photo, taken now in late winter in August, the dry season form colouration can be seen. In the wet season form the colouration is predominantly red-orange. The two forms are so different that it is hard to believe that they are forms of the same species of butterfly. 

The caterpillars of the Gaudy Commodore are about 45 mm in length and they are tawny brown in colour, banded with black. They carry branched spines along the length of their body and a pair of spines on the head. 

Even those who don’t like caterpillars tend to like butterflies, perhaps forgetting that caterpillars are the larvae of butterflies? 

Info from “Letting Nature Back In”

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Françoise Hardy - Dans le monde entier (1965)

My all-time favourite..  (17 Jan 1944 - 11 June2024 - RIP)

I don't normally do obituaries, especially if they're not fauna or flora related, but this lady held a special place in my heart when I was growing up.

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South African Paper Wasps—Vespidae

 Don’t reach for the Doom!

These are the most common wasps and all species build papery multi-celled nests of chewed wood pulp and saliva. 

They are highly social. So if you see a paper wasp nest under the eaves, do not reach for the Doom. They are not aggressive and will not attack you. They are keeping the ecosystem in your garden in equilibrium, by preying on insect larvae and aphids.

They gather fibers from dead wood and plant stems, which they mix with saliva, and use it to construct nests made of gray or brown papery material. The resultant wood pulp is remarkably strong.

“Paper wasps have an interesting lifestyle. The nests are usually founded by a single queen. A mated female from the parental nest emerges in spring and starts building the nest. She becomes the queen and is soon joined by other mated females from the same nest to form a colony. The late-comers are relegated to the worker caste. After the queen has started construction of the first hexagonal cell of the nest, the worker females add more concentric circles of cells to enlarge it.

The queen will lay all the eggs. The worker females are destined to be the workers – building the nest, hunting for food and minding the offspring.”

— Read more here :

(The pics are of 4 different wasps and they are all chewing wood on my wooden clothes drying rack.)

Black Snow

It’s sugar cane burning season in South Africa and here in KwaZulu Natal, it starts late-winter (July/August) and continues into early-summer. 

 

Before the sugar cane can be harvested, it must first be burned to remove the outer leaves and make it easier to cut.

While this process is necessary for the sugar cane industry, it can have some negative effects on the environment and human health. The burning of sugar cane releases large amounts of smoke and particulate matter into the air, which can cause respiratory problems and other health issues for people living nearby.

At the start of the sugar cane burning season in Southern Africa, many residents brace themselves for what has become known as ‘black snow.’ This term refers to the thick, black smoke and soot that fills the air as sugar cane fields are burned to prepare for harvest.

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Sunsets teach us

It was sunsets that taught me that beauty sometimes only lasts for a couple of moments. By the time I turned my back, went inside and closed the door, all the fiery orange had disappeared, leaving only a few splashes of pink and grey. 

I also found out that sunset or dusk is a good time for photography--it lends a certain peaceful quality to the garden.

Everyone is in the position not to harm

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Moles and Leather-leaf Ferns

 

What does a Mole have to do with a Leatherleaf Fern? you might ask. 

My Leatherleaf Fern is suffering from root-burn (I think) because I poured some diluted Jeyes Fluid down the Mole’s hole and I think some got to the roots of the fern. The Jeyes Fluid doesn’t harm the Mole, but the smell is strong enough to send him (and me!) scurrying to the other side of my garden fence. 

He has an extensive range of underground tunnels with many air holes (those unsightly heaps of soil all over your garden or lawn), so it’s quite a job watering as many of them as I can to keep him on the other side of the fence. 

Moles actually do not cause much harm, other than making your landscape look messy, which to an avid gardener or landscaper, can be extremely testing. That said, moles do help to aerate the soil, which makes for a healthy and robust lawn.

Moles do not hibernate. They are usually nearer the surface in winter and deeper in summer. They love moist soil where worms are active, which is why they suddenly appear when the soil becomes cool, and moist in late autumn.

Moles, like the Golden Mole, eat insects and snails and are more attracted by such soil pests present in the roots of plants, than by the actual roots. They are sometimes referred to as ‘surface moles’ and are more active during wet seasons. They are completely blind and rely on their hearing and smell to capture prey.

I have a suspicion that my friend is a Molerat, which feeds on roots and bulbs (and it is these moles that push the soil from their burrows, creating molehills), so he is actually not welcome in my garden. 

‘Nuff said. 

My fern in the days before the mole :(

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