''Kinixys'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked tu ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Testudinidae. The genus was erected by Thomas Bell in 1827. The

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 ...

in the genus ''Kinixys'' are native to

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...

and

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

and commonly known as hinged tortoises or hinge-back tortoises. Most of the ''Kinixys'' species are

omnivore An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nutr ...

s. They feed mainly on a wide range of different leaves, weeds, roots, flowers and fruits. However, they also eat worms, insects and other small

invertebrates Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus ''Kinixys'': *''Kinixys belliana'' –

Bell's hinge-back tortoise Bell's hinge-back tortoise (''Kinixys belliana''), also known commonly as Bell's eastern hinged tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to central Africa. It has the hinge that characterizes all tort ...

*''Kinixys erosa'' –

forest hinge-back tortoise The forest hinge-back tortoise (''Kinixys erosa''), also known commonly as the serrated hinge-back tortoise or Schweigger's tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is indigenous to the tropical forests and m ...

*''Kinixys homeana'' –

Home's hinge-back tortoise Home's hinge-back tortoise (''Kinixys homeana'') is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is endemic to Africa. Etymology The specific name, ''homeana'', is in honor of English surgeon and naturalist Everard Home. Geo ...

*''Kinixys lobatsiana'' –

Lobatse hinge-back tortoise The Lobatse hinge-back tortoise or Lobatse hinged tortoise (''Kinixys lobatsiana'') is a species of turtle in the family Testudinidae. It is found in Southern Africa. Description This turtle has an elongated, and rather narrow carapace up to 16 ...

*''Kinixys natalensis'' –

Natal hinge-back tortoise The Natal hinge-back tortoise (''Kinixys natalensis''), also known as Natal hinge-backed tortoise or Natal hinged tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae which is restricted to eastern southern Africa to a relatively small ...

*''

Kinixys nogueyi ''Kinixys'' is a genus of turtles in the family Testudinidae. The genus was erected by Thomas Bell in 1827. The species in the genus ''Kinixys'' are native to Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar and commonly known as hinged tortoises or hinge-ba ...

'' *''Kinixys spekii'' –

Speke's hinge-back tortoise Speke's hinge-back tortoise (''Kinixys spekii''), also known commonly as Speke's hingeback tortoise, is a species of turtle in the family Testudinidae. The species is endemic to Africa. Etymology The specific name, ''spekii'', is in honor of ...

*''

Kinixys zombensis ''Kinixys'' is a genus of turtles in the family Testudinidae. The genus was erected by Thomas Bell in 1827. The species in the genus ''Kinixys'' are native to Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar and commonly known as hinged tortoises or hinge-ba ...

'' ''

Nota bene (, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atten ...

'': A

binomial authority In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Kinixys''. Three species of ''Kinixys'': ''K. nogueyi'', ''K. erosa'', ''K. homeana''. (Illustration G. Aeschimann).

Distribution and habitat

The several species of the genus ''Kinxys'' are found across much of tropical and sub-tropical

sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...

, ranging as far south as

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...

in South Africa, and as far north as the fringes of the

Sahel The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid c ...

and

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

. However, individuals are often very scarce within this range, and several species are threatened. Though the species' wide geographic ranges overlap considerably, they are separated from each other by favouring different habitats within this range. Some species (such as ''K. belliana'') favour open

savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...

or grasslands, others (such as ''K. homeana'') favour rainforest.

Parasites

Species of tortoises in the

''Kinixys'' play host to a number of ectoparasites (external) and endoparasites (internal). A survey (by Alan Probert & Clive Humphreys) of mixed captive ''K. spekii'' and ''K. belliana'' (mostly ''K. spekii'') in Zimbabwe showed that the following parasites were known to infest/infect this species. This had been observed and published by others too. However some of the tiny roundworms (photographed under scanning electron microscope) are very likely new species and as yet remain undescribed. *Ticks (Arachnida) *Roundworms (Nematoda) – ''Angusticium'', ''Atractis'' and ''Tachygontria''

Species

Distribution and habitat

Parasites

References

Further reading