Serrated hinge-back tortoise, Schweigger's tortoise
The forest hinge-back tortoise (Kinixys erosa ), also known commonly as the serrated hinge-back tortoise or Schweigger's tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is indigenous to the tropical forests and marshes of central and western Africa.
A different species, Psammobates oculifer, is known by a similar common name, serrated tortoise.
An omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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starts withThe forest hinge-back tortoise is indigenous to the tropical rainforests of Sub-Saharan Africa. Here it is often found in marshes and river banks, where it spends much of its time buried under roots and logs.
Its natural range extends from northern Angola, throughout the Congo Basin, as far east as the shores of Lake Victoria, and throughout the West African forests as far as Senegal. Specifically, it is found in Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda, possibly Benin, possibly Guinea-Bissau, and possibly Togo.
K. erosa can arch its back 90 degrees downwards to protect its tail and hind legs while sleeping and to protect itself from predators. It is an excellent swimmer and can dive and navigate rainforest water-bodies to search for food.
The forest hinge-back tortoise is omnivorous, feeding on edible leaves, grass, invertebrates, carrion, weeds, and fruits.
The female K. erosa lays up to 4 eggs on the ground, covered in leaves.
K. erosa is hunted locally for bush meat, and its range has retreated due to clearance of its rainforest habitat. The forest hinge-back tortoise is considered to be threatened in the long-term, primarily due to habitat destruction.
