Tent Tortoise
Psammobates tentorius
Summary 4
The Tent tortoise (Psammobates tentorius) is a species of tortoise and one of three members of the genus, Psammobates. Known locally as the Karoo tent tortoise, this highly variable species is found in the Karoo and semi-desert regions of Southern Africa.
Diagnosis 5
The Karoo tent tortoise is a very variable species, with at least three subspecies. Its shell is dark brown or black with a pattern of yellow or orange striped stars 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'. Occasional specimens are a uniform brown, though this is very rare. Male specimens are much smaller than the females, and have concave bellies.
Although this species shares much of its superficial outer appearance with its relatives in the genus Psammobates, it can easily be distinguished by its un-serrated shell margins, and the scutes along its shell bridge, which are broader than they are high.
Conservation 6
This species is somewhat rare due to habitat destruction and illegal collection for the pet trade. Although the species is in no real need of conservation yet, it could become very rare in the future if measures are not taken to stop illegal collection.
Sources and Credits
- Joseph Smit, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Psammobates_tentorius.jpg
- (c) Massimo Meregalli, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Massimo Meregalli
- (c) Peter Slingsby, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Peter Slingsby
- Adapted by calebcam from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psammobates_tentorius
- Adapted by calebcam from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tent_tortoise
- (c) calebcam, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
