Geochelone yniphora

• Overview
• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Overview

The angonoka tortoise is one of the most endangered tortoises in the world, with a population of about 100 animals.

Endangered

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Physical Description

Habitat

In hot- tropical , semi-humid zone, with xeric, mixed scrub/bamboo secondary growth . Live in "islands" of xeric scrub forest in exposed rocky or coastal areas or in savannah grassland. Favor mixed habitats with open herbaceous zones for foraging and dense thickets for protection and cover . Inactive during cool, dry season (May to October). Does not dig burrows. Seeks protection in thickets and seeks shelter in surface litter . Forages during morning and late afternoon.

Biome: Terrestrial

Biology

Diet

Herbivorous, Forages during morning and late afternoon.

Reproduction

Similar to that of Geochelone radiata . Males engage in combat; use their gular scute to ram, push, and occasionally overturn each other. Courtship and mating occurs October to February, peaking in November and December.

Begins with sniffing, although trailing and circling may be initiated by the male without initial sniffing. Male circles female 5 to 3O times; he may bump her as he passes in front. Males may or may not bite head and forelimbs of female. Rams and pushes female and pushes his enlarged epiplastron under female's carapace into soft parts (legs or head socket). Then he hooks (lifts ) female, which frequently leads to overturning. Female extends her rear legs to elevate posterior shell , "presenting". Vocalizations consist of a series of single, unbroken calls .

In cases where female was uncooperative, intervention by keepers in the form of spraying female with fine water spray usually resulted in her "presenting".

Dig flask-shaped nests in moist soil. Hole depth averages 4.3 inches (I 1. I cm), range 3.9"to5.4"(10-13.6cm). Basal width averages 4.5 inches(11.6cm), range 4.2" to 5"(10.8-12.7 cm). Nesting occurs typically in the late morning. Test holes maybe constructed for a few days before the final site is chosen.

Rear feet are used to position the eggs within the nest cavity. One female observed to seem to keep the eggs as far from each other as possible within the cavity . Eggs are covered with soil and firmly packed. 4 to 5 clutches are laid, one month apart each. Clutch size is 3 to 6 eggs, mean 4.2 eggs. Eggs are white, nearly spherical , 1.65" to 1.85" mean diameter (42 to 47 mm) and weigh 1.4 to 1.75 ounces (40.5 to 50g). Incubation 168 to 296 days.

Taxonomy

Synonyms

Asterochelys yniphora Obst 1985 • Astrochelys yniphora GERLACH< /i> (Pers. Comm.) • Geochelone Yniphora • Testudo hyniphora VAILLANT & GRANDIDIER 1910< /i> (Nomen Subst. Pro T. Yniphora) • Testudo yniphora Vaillant 1885: 440

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: Uetz P.

Similar Species

Members of the genus Geochelone

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 24 species and subspecies in this genus:

G. carbonaria (Red-Footed Tortoise) · G. chilensis (Argentine Tortoise) · G. chilensis chilensis (Southern Wood Tortoise) · G. denticulata (Brazilian Giant Tortoise) · G. elegans (Indian Star Tortoise) · G. elephantophus (Galapagos Giant Tortoise) · G. gigantea (Aldabra Giant Tortoise) · G. nigra (Abingdon Island Tortoise) · G. nigra becki (Volcan Wolf Tortoise) · G. nigra chathamensis (Chatham Island Tortoise) · G. nigra darwini (James Island Tortoise) · G. nigra ephippium (Duncan Island Tortoise) · G. nigra galapagoensis (Charles Island Tortoise) · G. nigra guntheri (Sierra Negra Tortoise) · G. nigra hoodensis (Hood Island Tortoise) · G. nigra microphyes (Volcan Darwin Tortoise) · G. nigra porteri (Indefatigable Island Tortoise) · G. nigra vandenburghi (Volcan Alcedo Tortoise) · G. nigra vicina (Iguana Cove Tortoise) · G. pardalis (Leopard Tortoise) · G. platynota (Burmese Starred Tortoise) · G. radiata (Radiated Tortoise) · G. sulcata (African Spurred Tortoise) · G. yniphora (Angonoka)

More Info

• Search for Pictures: images.google.com
• Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
• Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
• Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books

Further Reading

• 1994 IUCN red list of threatened animals Gland, Switzerland: IUCN, 1993 url p. 74.
• Amphibian & reptile conservation: the international journal devoted to the worldwide preservation and management of amphibian and reptilian diversity. Provo, Utah: Amphibian & Reptile Conservation, [1996- url p. 16.
• Annotated CITES Appendices and Reservations CITES url p. 88.
• Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. 115 1957 Cambridge, Mass.: The Museum, 1863- url p. 548.
• Checklist of CITES Species CITES, WCMC url p. 100, p. 104, p. 156, p. 178, p. 227, p. 229, p. 230, p. 57.
• Checklist of CITES Species: a reference to the appendices to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CITES url p. 134, p. 163, p. 164, p. 226, p. 228, p. 62, p. 68.
• Checklist of reptiles and amphibians listed in the CITES appendices and in EC Regulation 338/97 JNCC url p. 4.
• Ecologically sensitive sites in Africa / Washington, DC, USA: World Bank, 1993. url p. 43.
• Madagascar: an environmental profile IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre url p. 314, p. 316, p. 317, p. 318, p. 319, p. 320, p. 67, p. 68, p. 8.
• Oil spill sensitivity of the western Indian Ocean islands: coastal data from the Comoros Islands, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion and the Seychelles WCMC url p. 20, p. 96.
• The Canadian field-naturalist. Ottawa, Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club. url p. 132.
• The Conservation Atlas of Tropical Forests: Africa IUCN url p. 228.
• The IUCN Amphibia-Reptilia Red Data Book. Part 1 Testudines Crocodylia and Rhynchocephalia IUCN url p. 17, p. 31, p. 4, p. 421, p. 73, p. 87, p. 88, p. 91, p. 92, p. 93, p. 94, p. 95.
• The Marine Mammal Commission compendium of selected treaties, international agreements, and other relevant documents on marine resources, wildlife, and the environment / compiled by Richard L. Wallace. Washington, D.C.: The Commission; 1994 url p. 2373, p. 631.
• World Checklist of Threatened Amphibians and Reptiles Nature Conservancy Council url p. 15.
• World Checklists of Threatened Amphibians and Reptiles Nature Conservancy Council url p. 18.

Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 10, 2012.
• Honolulu Zoo
• Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group 1996. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 18, 2008.
• Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group 1996. Geochelone yniphora. In: IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org . Downloaded on 20 October 2006.

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2539942
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Rep-13197
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 202108
• IUCN ID: 9016
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Species Identifier: C01C
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 5404

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.