''Chersobius boulengeri'', commonly known as the Karoo padloper or Boulenger's cape tortoise, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of tortoise in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
''Chersobius boulengeri'' is known by several common names. In southern Africa (and in much of the scientific community) it is known as the Karoo padloper, as it is the padloper species which is endemic to the
Nama Karoo
Nama Karoo is a xeric shrubland ecoregion located on the central plateau of South Africa and Namibia. It occupies most of the interior of the western half of South Africa and extends into the southern interior of Namibia.
Climate
The climate t ...
. It is also sometimes known as Boulenger's cape tortoise, as the Donner-weer tortoise,Obst FJ, Richter K,
Jacob U
Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Ja ...
(1988). ''The Completely Illustrated Atlas of Reptiles and Amphibians for the Terrarium''. T.F.H. Press. and as Boulenger's padloper.
The specific name, ''boulengeri'', and some of the common names are in honor of
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
-born
British
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Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
herpetologist
Herpetology (from Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians ( gymnophiona)) and rep ...
The Karoo padloper is a small tortoise with a relatively flat, brown shell (olive to reddish or orange brown). Though almost always of a uniform colour, the vertebral shields of its shell sometimes have slightly darker edges – especially in young specimens. Its colouration makes it especially well camouflaged in its arid rocky Karoo habitat.
Like the closely related speckled padloper (''Chersobius signatus'') and Nama padloper (''Chersobius solus'') to the west, it has five clawed toes on its front feet and four on its hind feet. Its weight is generally . The average straight carapace length is , though adult females are larger than males. Adult males can also be distinguished from females by having slightly longer tails, and a concave belly ( plastron).
It looks superficially similar to the larger
greater padloper
''Homopus femoralis'', commonly known as the greater padloper, is a small tortoise of the genus ''Homopus'', indigenous to the highveld grasslands of South Africa.
habitat destruction
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...
, traffic on roads,
overgrazing
Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature res ...
, and poaching for the pet trade. As the trade in collected ''Chersobius'' species is strictly illegal and any captive specimens are systematically registered in noncommercial studbooks in South Africa and Namibia, any commercial sale of ''Chersobius'' tortoises is almost without exception strictly illegal.
The species does not survive well in captivity, unless considerable effort is made to supply specimens with their natural food, that is, the indigenous plants from the Nama Karoo Region. It also has very specific temperature, moisture and climate requirements.Misty Corton, Corton M "''Homopus'' (Padloper Tortoise) Care" World Chelonian Trust. (retrieved August 20, 2013).
References
Further reading
* Branch, Bill (2004). ''Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa''. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. . (''Homopus boulengeri'', pp. 27–28 + Plate 6).
* Duerden JE (1906). "South African Tortoises of the Genus ''Homopus'', with Description of a New Species". ''Records of the Albany'' outh Africa''Museum'' 1: 405–411. (''Homopus boulengeri'', new species, pp. 406–407).