Dave Taylor's African Safari: Trophic Level II - The Herbivores - Reptiles

Dave Taylor's African Safari: Trophic Level II - The Herbivores - Reptiles - Page 4

Trophic Level II - The Herbivores
Reptiles
Page 4

Most reptiles are carnivores, even if their prey does consist of insects, grubs and birds’ eggs. Some of the more common and larger reptilian meat eaters are discussed later in this CDROM (see Crocodiles, Monitor Lizard and Agama Lizard). There is one group of reptiles often seen by safarists that does consume almost entirely plants: the tortoises.

Leopard Tortoise
Geochelone pardalis

Length: 30-45 cm (12-18")

Weight: 7-9 kg (15-20 lb.)

Status: Common

Habitat: Leopard tortoises are found in lightly wooded savannas, grassy plains, dry woodlands, bushlands and around marshes and kopjes. In the Serengeti-Mara, they can turn up almost anywhere. Within their African range, they may be found from sea level to 2 900 meters (9,514 feet).

Food: Leopard tortoises feed on any succulent plants. Fallen fruit, grasses, fungi and other water-filled plants are all eaten. They will also eat prickly pear cacti that have been introduced into the ecosystem. (Author’s note: There are no native African cacti. Cacti are found growing naturally only in North and South America. A safarist will see cacti but these are the results of successful introductions by Europeans in the last 100 years or so. Cactus-like plants are found in Africa. The most commonly seen is the Euphorbia tree. )

Behavior: When she is ready to lay her eggs, the female digs a flask-shaped burrow about 30 centimeters (12 inches) deep. There, she lays between five and thirty eggs. She will continue doing this at three week intervals over a period of twenty weeks. The eggs hatch a year later.

Young leopard tortoises have speckled markings that fade as they become an adult.

Male tortoises will seek out a female with whom to mate. If there are two males present, they will fight over her. The point of the battle seems to be to roll the opponent onto its back. Once this is done, the victor leaves with the female and the loser struggles to right itself.

Predators: When confronted with a lion or other predator, the tortoise simply pulls itself into its shell. This is usually safe and little damage is done while the predator investigates the tortoise. Only spotted hyena have jaws strong enough to crack the hard shell.

Select a Page:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42