Cape Angulate tortoise

Description:

Male carapace length: up to 27.2 cm Female carapace length: up to 21.6 cm Male weight: up to 2.1 kg Female weight: up to 1.8 kg

Habitat:

The angulate tortoise inhabits a wide range of habitats, including Fynbos, Succulent Karoo, Nama Karoo, and Albany Thicket, this one lives in our garden.

Notes:

Biology – Angulate tortoise The angulate tortoise feeds on a variety of angiosperms (flowering plants), as well as mosses, mushrooms, insects, snail shells and animal faeces . Activity patterns depend largely on temperature: on cool or wet days and in winter, the angulate tortoise is most active during the middle of the day, while in spring and summer it is less active during this hottest part of the day. Mating is most common between September and April. The male may pursue and bite at the legs and tail of the female during courtship , as well as engaging in combat with rival males. When the time comes to nest, the female digs a hole, up to ten centimetres deep, into which usually only a single, oval-shaped egg is laid. Each female may potentially lay up to six times a year. The egg hatches after 4 to 14 months , the new hatchling having a flattened shell a mere 4 centimetres long. Reproductive maturity is not reached until about ten years of age (5.