Homopus femoralis

Greater padloper

Adult female
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Testudinidae
Genus:	Homopus
Species:	H. femoralis
Binomial name
*Homopus femoralis* Boulenger, 1888^[1]
Synonyms^[2]
Homopus femoralis Boulenger, 1888:251^[1] Testudo femoralis Strauch, 1890 Homopus fermoralis Mähn & Wilms, 2001 (ex errore)

Homopus femoralis, commonly known as the greater padloper, is a small tortoise of the genus Homopus, indigenous to the highveld grasslands of South Africa.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

Description

1888 sketch – Zoological Society of London

As its name suggests, the greater padloper is the largest of all the Homopus ("padloper") tortoises, but it is nonetheless tiny, averaging slightly over 10 cm in length – though males tend to be smaller. It has relatively large buttock tubercles. Like its close relative, H. areolatus (and unlike other padlopers), it has only four toes on its front feet as well as its hind feet.

Its shell ranges in colour from olive to reddish-brown, and is slightly flattened in both sexes. The shields tend to be separated by very thin white lines. In juveniles and adult males, the shields of the shell usually have slightly darker edges. Males can also be distinguished from females by being smaller, with longer tails. Males do not exhibit plastral concavity.

This species is sometimes confused with the Karoo padloper (H. boulengeri) which inhabits the Karoo region to the west. However greater padlopers can be distinguished not only by their larger size, but also by their nostrils which are below their eye level, by their having four toes on both their front and back feet, by the larger scales on their forelimbs, and by the darker rings around the shell scutes of many individuals.^[9]

Distribution

Its habitat is primarily the summer-rainfall grasslands, savanna and bushveld of the highveld plateau of southern Africa. It is found as far north as the central Free State, and as far east as the Lesotho border. It is restricted to regions of high altitude, with rainfall over 250 mm per annum.

In addition, there is a sparse relict population of greater padlopers that extends into the high escarpment on the edge of the Karoo, where the climate is relatively humid. Although it has also been known as the Karoo cape tortoise, this species is not widespread in the Karoo, unlike the Karoo padloper (Homopus boulengeri) which is restricted to the Karoo region.^[10]

Homopus femoralis is a summer-rainfall species. Within its range it tends to favour rocky outcrops, and its population is relatively sparse. It is little studied, although it appears in ITIS and other databases.^[11]

Conservation

The grassland species is threatened by overgrazing and poaching for the pet trade.^[12] As the trade in collected Homopus species is strictly illegal and any captive specimens are systematically registered in noncommercial studbooks in South Africa and Namibia, any commercial sale of Homopus tortoises is almost without exception strictly illegal.^[13]

This species does not survive for long in captivity, unless considerable effort is made to supply specimens with their natural food, that is, endemic plants from the summer-rainfall grasslands region of South Africa. This summer-rainfall tortoise also has specific temperature requirements. They spend winter under vegetation and rocks (June–September) and lay up to three eggs in summer.^[14]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Homopus femoralis.

^ ^a ^b Boulenger, George A. 1888. Description of a new land-tortoise from South Africa, from a specimen living in the Society's Gardens. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1888:251.
^ Turtle Taxonomy Working Group [van Dijk, P.P., Iverson, J.B., Rhodin, A.G.J., Shaffer, H.B., and Bour, R.]. 2014. Turtles of the World, 7th edition: annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution with maps, and conservation status. In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Pritchard, P.C.H., van Dijk, P.P., Saumure, R.A., Buhlmann, K.A., Iverson, J.B., and Mittermeier, R.A. (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs 5(7):000.329–479, doi:10.3854/ crm.5.000.checklist.v7.2014.
^ Karoo Cape tortoise, CITES species gallery.
^ IUCN Appendix 1. Regional Species Lists Archived 2010-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
^ J. Obst, K. Richter, and U. Jacob. (1988). The Completely Illustrated Atlas of Reptiles and Amphibians for the Terrarium, T.F.H. press.
^ The Herpetology Sourcebook, Reptile & Amphibian Magazine, 1996-1997.
^ Tortoises Homopus Research Foundation. (accessed February 19, 2017).
^ Save Our Tortoises,^{[dead link]} CapeNature web site.
^ E.H.W. Baard (1994). Cape Tortoises: Their identification and care. Cape Nature Conservation.
^ "Greater Padloper, Homopus femoralis". Homopus Research Foundation. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
^ Boycott, R. and O. Bourquin (1988). The South African Tortoise Book. Southern Book Publishers: Johannesburg.
^ "Dwarf Tortoise Conservation".
^ "CapeNature". Archived from the original on 2014-03-07. Retrieved 2014-03-07.[p1][category]=342&sm[p1][persistent]=1
^ Corton, M., Homopus (Padloper Tortoise) Care, World Chelonian Trust (retrieved August 20, 2013).

Tortoise family

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Testudinoidea
Family: Testudinidae

Genera

Species of the tortoise family

Agrionemys

Russian tortoise

Chaco tortoise
Red-footed tortoise
Yellow-footed tortoise
†Chelonoidis alburyorum
†Chelonoidis cubensis
†Chelonoidis lutzae
†Chelonoidis monensis
†Chelonoidis sellovii
†Chelonoidis sombrerensis

Galápagos tortoise

Chelonoidis complex

†Cheirogaster

†Cheirogaster bacharidisi
†Cheirogaster gymnesica
†Cheirogaster schafferi

Chersina

Angulate tortoise

†Hadrianus

†Hadrianus corsoni
†Hadrianus majusculus
†Hadrianus octonaria
†Hadrianus robustus
†Hadrianus schucherti
†Hadrianus utahensis
†Hadrianus vialovi

†Hesperotestudo

†Hesperotestudo percrassa

Pancake tortoise

Leopard tortoise

†Stylemys

†Stylemys botti
†Stylemys calaverensis
†Stylemys canetotiana
†Stylemys capax
†Stylemys conspecta
†Stylemys copei
†Stylemys emiliae
†Stylemys frizaciana
†Stylemys karakolensis
†Stylemys nebrascensis
†Stylemys neglectus
†Stylemys oregonensis
†Stylemys pygmea
†Stylemys uintensis
†Stylemys undabuna

Testudo

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. Key: †=extinct.

Testudines

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Diapsida
Order: Testudines

Genus

Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)

Cheloniidae	†Allopleuron Caretta †Carolinochelys Chelonia †Eochelone Eretmochelys †Gigantatypus †Glarichelys †Itilochelys Lepidochelys †Mexichelys †Miocaretta Natator †Pacifichelys †Syllomus †Tasbacka
Dermochelyidae	†Arabemys †Corsochelys †Cosmochelys Dermochelys †Eosphargis †Mesodermochelys †Psephophorus
	†Euclastes †Peritresius †Procolpochelys †Protosphargis †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae	Dermatemys
Kinosternidae	Claudius †Hoplochelys Kinosternon Staurotypus Sternotherus

Testudinoidea

Emydidae	†Acherontemys Chrysemys Clemmys Deirochelys Emys Actinemys Emydoidea Glyptemys Graptemys Malaclemys Pseudemys Terrapene Trachemys †Wilburemys
Geoemydidae	Batagur †Banhxeochelys Cuora Cyclemys Geoclemys Geoemyda Hardella Heosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Mauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Rhinoclemmys Sacalia Siebenrockiella Vijayachelys
Platysternidae	Platysternon
Testudinidae	Aldabrachelys Astrochelys Centrochelys Chelonoidis Chersina Cylindraspis †Cymatholcus †Floridemys Geochelone Gopherus †Hadrianus †Hesperotestudo Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria †Megalochelys †Oligopherus Psammobates Pyxis †Solitudo Stigmochelys †Stylemys Testudo

Trionychia

Carettochelyidae	†Allaeochelys †Anosteira Carettochelys
Trionychidae	Amyda Apalone †Axestemys Chitra Cyclanorbis Cycloderma †Drazinderetes Dogania †Gilmoremys †Hutchemys †Khunnuchelys Lissemys Nilssonia Palea †Palaeoamyda Pelochelys Pelodiscus Rafetus Trionyx
	†Basilochelys †Sinaspideretes

Chelydridae	Chelydra †Chelydrops †Chelydropsis †Emarginachelys †Macrocephalochelys Macrochelys †Planiplastron †Protochelydra
†Nanhsiungchelyidae	†Anomalochelys †Basilemys †Jiangxichelys
†Protostegidae	†Alienochelys †Archelon †Atlantochelys †Bouliachelys †Calcarichelys †Cratochelone †Desmatochelys †Iserosaurus †Notochelone †Ocepechelon †Pneumatoarthrus †Protostega †Rhinochelys †Santanachelys †Terlinguachelys
	†Adocus †Argillochelys †Bashuchelys †Ctenochelys †Prionochelys †Toxochelys

Pleurodira

†Araripemydidae	†Araripemys
†Bothremydidae	†Araiochelys †Arenila †Azabbaremys †Bothremys †Cearachelys †Chedighaii †Chupacabrachelys †Eotaphrosphys †Foxemys †Galianemys †Ilatardia †Inaechelys †Itapecuruemys †Jainemys †Kinkonychelys †Kurmademys †Labrostochelys †Nigeremys †Phosphatochelys †Polysternon †Puentemys †Rosasia †Rhothonemys †Sankuchemys †Taphrosphys †Ummulisani †Zolhafah
Chelidae	Acanthochelys Chelodina Chelus Elseya Elusor Emydura Hydromedusa †Lomalatachelys Mesoclemmys Myuchelys Phrynops Platemys †Prochelidella Pseudemydura Rheodytes Rhinemys †Yaminuechelys
Pelomedusidae	Pelomedusa Pelusios
Podocnemididae	†Albertwoodemys †Bauruemys †Brontochelys †Caninemys †Carbonemys †Cerrejonemys †Cordichelys Erymnochelys †Lapparentemys †Latentemys Peltocephalus Podocnemis †Stupendemys
†Sahonachelyidae	†Sahonachelys †Sokatra

	†Caribemys †Caririemys †Tacuarembemys

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.

See also List of Testudines families

Taxon identifiers
Homopus femoralis	Wikidata: Q3080873 Wikispecies: Homopus femoralis ADW: Homopus_femoralis CoL: 3MHMD EoL: 793251 GBIF: 5220253 iNaturalist: 40074 IRMNG: 10951485 ITIS: 551786 IUCN: 170522 NCBI: 285998 Observation.org: 100020 Open Tree of Life: 777385 RD: femoralis Species+: 10479

This page was last edited on 1 April 2024, at 15:26

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Description

Distribution

Conservation

References