Tortoises move too slow to survive in this changing world
I came across these tortoises as I was passing an area near a ditch. The ditch was flooded so I presumed they came out because of it. These are incredible creatures. The minute they sensed they moved into their shell. I waited a long time for them to come out but they didn’t except for the baby turtle. After a while, it came out, inquisitive and perhaps playful.
I was afraid they might be found by others nearby and perhaps killed or kept as pets. I removed them and put them in a place away from human eyes. Even so, it took them a long time to waddle their way to safety. Their movements are so slow. They were found eventually by a security guard who put them in a pail and he told me he wanted them as pets.
That made me sad but I didn’t say anything. Perhaps it is best. At least as pets they would survive.
Tortoises or land turtles are land-dwelling reptiles of the family of Testudinidae, order Testudines. Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise has both an endoskeleton and an exoskeleton. Tortoises can vary in size from a few centimetres to two meters. Tortoises tend to be diurnal animals with tendencies to be crepuscular depending on the ambient temperatures. They are generally reclusive animals.
Many tortoises have specific temperature, roaming space, light, air moisture, and diet requirements. They are difficult to captive breed, so many are wild caught. Tortoises need outdoor space to roam. It is not possible to house-train a tortoise.
Most land based tortoises are herbivores, feeding on grazing grasses, weeds, leafy greens, flowers, and certain fruits. Their main diet consists of alfalfa, clover, dandelions, and leafy weeds, although they will also eat various insects.
Posted in on January 18th, 2008 by nini | |
