Turbo
Red-footed Tortoise (Geochelone carbonaria)
About me
| Basic Info | Home: | Turbo's the name – relaxing's the game. I'm a native of Central America but you can spot some of my chums soaking up the sun and enjoying a pina colada in the Carribean.... |
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| Size: | Last time my mum measured me I was about 12 inches long, which is about average I believe – fine by me! | |
| Favourite foods: | I'm very health conscious, mainly greens, fruit, veg and flowers – as a treat I might occasionally snack on a bug or two, if I'm fast enough to catch them that is! | |
| Environment: | I love plodding along at the edge of a lovely rainforest, through grassland or even in drier forests – basically anywhere I can stroll around without being bothered too much. | |
| Sounds like: | CLUCK! HISSS!! |
| Further Info |
These tortoises live a peaceful life bothered by few natural predators; their main concerns are finding food and mates. During mating season several males will usually compete for the right to mate with a female. Their fight begins with a head bobbing dance thought to serve as way for males to recognise other males. They then engage in battle where they will wrestle and attempt to turn each other onto their backs. The victor will them pursue the female, who will usually continue to walk away seemingly uninterested, until he is able to get into place to mount her. A concave segment on the underside of his shell (not present in females) helps him to keep his balance, which is just as well since she will often continue to walk even after he has made his move. She may even attempt to dislodge him by walking under low hanging branches! The main threats to red footed tortoises of course come from human activity. They are considered a delicacy in much of South America and are hunted for their meat. |
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