Karoo Cape Tortoise

1 Overview

The Karoo cape tortoise belongs to the genus Homopus and lives on high plateaus. It is unusually tolerant of cold, which is rare among tortoises, and it is the only member of its genus known to undergo dormancy, making it a rather unusual species.

Chinese name: Karoo cape tortoise

Latin name: Homopus femoralis

English name: Karoo cape tortoise, Greater padloper tortoise

Also known as: Greater padloper tortoise

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Testudines

Family: Testudinidae

Genus: Homopus

Species: Homopus femoralis

Distribution: Karoo Nature Reserve, southern South Africa

Habitat: Mountainous rocky areas and highland grassland

Size (carapace): up to 17 cm

Diet: Well adapted to grassland life, feeding mainly on grasses and small herbaceous plants

Reproduction: Oviparous (lays eggs in summer, up to three clutches per year, several eggs each)

Conservation status: CITES-listed

2 Physical Characteristics

The Karoo cape tortoise has a carapace that is grey-brown or orange, with no pattern or only faint rings, but the sculpturing on the carapace is fairly clear. The head is small and can retract into the shell, and the limbs show distinct scutes.

In the wild, the Karoo cape tortoise is found on the high-altitude inland plateau of South Africa’s eastern Cape, spanning from north to south of Kimberley in the Northern Cape Province and eastward to the border of Lesotho, all within the Karoo region, from Murraysburg in the southwest of the Cape to Sutherland in the northwest.

The Karoo cape tortoise is the largest species in the genus Homopus, reaching up to 17 cm. The shell is grey-brown or orange, with black edges on the scutes. In some individuals, especially older ones, the shell is uniformly colored with no black deposits. Males lack a concave plastron, and both sexes show small ‘spurs’ on the rear of the shell.

3 Care & Maintenance

As a general rule, small tortoises (under 10 cm) can be soaked twice a week, since they are prone to dehydration in captivity; adults need only once a week. For those from more humid native climates, such as the red-footed tortoise, soaking can be shortened to every other day. After soaking, be sure to dry the Karoo cape tortoise thoroughly before returning it to the enclosure and place it directly under a heat lamp to avoid chilling.

4 Natural Habitat

The Karoo cape tortoise can live in cold regions, something most tortoises cannot do. Even so, enclosure temperatures must still be managed in captivity. The species is scarce and highly prized.

The Karoo cape tortoise prefers mountainous areas (Karoo grassveld and bushveld shrubland). It inhabits the coldest grassveld regions of South Africa, where winter snow is guaranteed. Rather than digging burrows in winter, it hides under flat rocks or vegetation, fully exposed to the cold air.

The Karoo cape tortoise lives at high altitudes, mainly on the inland plateau of the Eastern Cape, extending north to the central Free State and Kimberley and east to the Lesotho border, regions that often see heavy summer rainfall. The species inhabits montane grassland and shrubland, with habits intermediate between the Cape tortoises and other montane-preferring Homopus species. Although it appears in rock crevices, these are not its main summer activity range. It is also the only member of its genus known to undergo dormancy: observations show that from June to September it rests in rock crevices or cavities.

5 Care Guidelines

As we know, the most important aspects of tortoise care are proper calcium supplementation and basking. In fact, the main purpose of basking is also calcium uptake. Why is calcium so important for tortoises, and what problems does a deficiency cause?

1. Metabolic Bone Disease

Symptoms: Soft shell and carapace, weakness, reduced activity and appetite.

Cause: Calcium deficiency.

Treatment: By the time these symptoms appear, recovery is essentially impossible. The only measure is supplementing ionic calcium, usually by injection of calcium gluconate, but even this is of little help. Prevention is the key — providing adequate calcium routinely is what matters.

2. Muscle Twitching

Symptoms: Muscle twitching and difficulty moving.

Cause: The cause is not simply calcium deficiency; that is only one aspect. Electrolyte imbalance in the body can also lead to massive loss of calcium ions. As is well known, calcium ions are important neurotransmitters, and abnormal loss causes muscle twitching. However, the calcium in muscle and nerve does not come from direct intake; like the calcium in bone, it comes from calcium ions in the blood, a process governed by electrolyte balance.

Treatment: Replenishing calcium ions in nerve and skeletal muscle requires electrolyte balance, so the method is to supplement electrolytes, either by oral dosing or via soak-water administration.