Tent tortoise

Tent tortoise
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Testudinidae
Genus:	Psammobates
Species:	P. tentorius
Binomial name
Psammobates tentorius (Kuhl, 1820)[1]

The African tent tortoise or tent tortoise (Psammobates tentorius) is a species of tortoise and one of three members of the genus, Psammobates.^[2] It is also known as Berger's Cape tortoise.^[2] The tent tortoise is found in countries of Southern Africa including: Namibia and the Republic of South Africa (to Cape Province).

Identification

Carapace dark brown or black, with a pattern of yellow or orange stripes radiating from the centre of each domed shield making up the carapace. The tent tortoise has a beautiful geometric pattern of' Bedouin tents' on its upper shell, and this is appropriate, for it is quite at home in the semidesert The colouring and size of this little tortoise vary greatly, particularly from one area to another but also within a single 'population'. Three subspecies are recognised by biologists. Of these, Psammobates tentorius trimeni, found on the Namaqualand coast, boasts the boldest markings, the brightest colours and well-developed 'tents'. Subspecies verroxii, found in the driest parts of the Karoo, has underdeveloped 'tents', while subspecies tentorius, from the Eastern Cape, has the best-developed 'tents' of all.

Subspecies

Northern tent tortoise Psammobates tentorius verroxii

• Southern tent tortoise, Psammobates tentorius tentorius (type species) or common tent tortoise. Authority: Bell 1828. Distribution:South Africa(Southern and eastern Karoo from Grahamstown to Matjiesfontein).^[3][4]
• Western tent tortoise, Psammobates tentorius trimeni. Authority: Boulenger, 1886. Distribution:Namibia(Lambert’s Bay north to beyond the Orange River in Great Namaqualand) and South Africa(Extreme western Cape Provinces).^[3][4]
• Northern tent tortoise, Psammobates tentorius verroxii. Authority: Smith, 1839. Disrubution:Namibia(Northwest to the Great Namaqualand) and South Africa(Northern Cape Province).^[3][4]

Behaviour

The female tent tortoise lays a clutch of one to three eggs, and buries them in the sand as all other tortoises do. The young emerge in late summer or early autumn

Diet

They depend on a very specialised diet including assorted Karoo bushes, mesem-bryanthemums and other South African succulents.

References

1. ^ JCVI.org (Retrieved Feb. 28, 2010).
2. ^ ^{a b} Zip Code Zoo (Retrieved Feb. 28, 2010)
3. ^ ^{a b c} Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007). "Checklist of chelonians of the world". Verterbrate zoology 57 (2): 290–292. Archived from the original on 2010-12-17. http://www.webcitation.org/5v20ztMND. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} Rhodin, Anders G.J.; van Dijk, Peter Paul; Inverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley (2010-12-14). "Turtles of the world, 2010 update: Annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution and conservation status". Chelonian Research Monographs 5: 000.121. Archived from the original on 2010-12-15. http://www.webcitation.org/5uzfktoIh. 

Notes

• Auerbach,R.D. 1987. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Botswana. Mokwepa Consultants, Botswana, 295 pp.
• Bauer, Aaron M.; Branch, William R. & Haacke, Wulf D. 1993. The herpetofauna of the Kamanjab area and adjacent Damaraland, Namibia. Madoqua (Windhoek), 18 (2): 117-145.
• Duméril, A. M.C., G. BIBRON & A. DUMÉRIL 1854. Erpétologie générale ou Histoire Naturelle complète des Reptiles. Vol. 9. Paris, XX + 440 S.
• Ernst,C.H. and Barbour,R.W. 1989. Turtles of the World. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. - London
• Greig, J.C., and P.D. Burdett. 1976. Patterns in the distributions of Southern African terrestrial tortoises (Cryptodira: Testudinidae). Zool. Africana 11(2): 250-267.
• Hughes, B. 1986. Longevity Records of African Captive Amphibians and Reptiles: Part 1: Introduction and Species List 1 - Amphibians and Chelonians Jour. Herp. Ass. Afr. (32): 1-5
• Kuhl,H. 1820. Beiträge zur Zoologie und vergleichenden Anatomie. Hermannsche Buchhandlung, Frankfurt, 152 pp.
• Loveridge, Arthur & Williams, Ernest E. 1957. Revision of the African Tortoises and Turtles of the Suborder Cryptodira. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 115 (6): 163-557
• Smith,A. 1840. Illustrations of the zoology of South Africa, Reptilia. Smith, Elder, and Co., London
• Valverde, J. 2005. Afrikanische Landschildkröten. Reptilia (Münster) 10 (6): 18-25
• Valverde, J. 2005. African Tortoises. Reptilia (GB) (43): 12-20