Old Wild Caught Tortoises

[burnt toast]

I suppose we may not have that many members visiting us, who own these old torts at this time of year? due to their torts being put away for hibernation?

[Bindi]

There are still alot of tort owners that don't frequent the internet - especially the older keepers...older but some still younger than their torts

[JoesMum]

I don't know for certain that Joe was wild caught. His age is a guess. Looking at size when he became part of the family we think he was somewhere between 5 and 10 years old ... bought from a pet shop and we've had him 41 years.

Chances are he was wild before his time in a pet shop in the 1970s.

[Shelled Lady]

If he came from a pet shop, he would be WC. Also, just look any of the old tortoises shells - smooth, that's the give away!

[Alan1]

The two we had in the early 60's would have been wild caught and the ones I remember in the pet shop for £5 in the early 70's would have been too.

If you were to get wild caught ones these days there would be no guarantee of a smooth shell as seen in recent photos on here and in Manuel Wegehaupt's articles

[Shelled Lady]

So, what do you think has happened to change this?

[Jim]

Hi Guys, I have 3 old torts I believe must have been wild caught as you can see in my signature, I have a 49 year old spur and 2 hermann's 42 and 25, they all have lovely smooth shells too, these ages are known as from being in the UK and were adults when caught so they could be quite a bit older? apart from the spur thigh she was taken on 33years ago from the owner who had her when she was tiny for 15 years, they are all tucked up asleep in the fridge now dreaming about the spring

[Alan1]

Originally Posted by Shelled Lady

So, what do you think has happened to change this?

Probably a combination of things. Land where wild torts were roaming has been taken over by farmers in many cases. So is it because the torts are now feeding heavily on crops that simply weren't there before?

Wegehaupt also believes the formation of humps can be caused partly by lack of drinking as was the case in Sardinia, so are farmers using up this water or is it drying up with global warming?

But, how do these humps develop?

It is generally presumed that carapace humps may be a result of the animal living on a substrate that is too dry. However, my years of field studies appear to indicate that the formation of humps cannot be exclusively related to the degree of ambient moisture and humidity. Rather, the reason for a formation of humps must be sought in the actual water household of the tortoises. As a matter of fact, these tortoises live only in habitats that are marked by a high level of relative humidity.

I have been finding smooth specimens mainly in populations living in habitats where water is freely available. Hump-shelled tortoises, on the other hand, are chiefly encountered in areas where there are no streams or other bodies of water; these habitats likewise sport a high level of humidity, though.

I have encountered animals with very prominently humped shells in a very arid, water-deficient coastal habitat on the island of Sardinia. As a result of failing rains, the water supply in this region has decreased to such an extent over the past years that hundreds of tortoises virtually dry out every year now. It only takes one extremely dry summer to cause juveniles to grow a humpy bone shell.



http://www.testudo-farm.de/html/formation_of_humps.html

[shellonia]

I have an old Whiteii male rehomed when hislady owner died in her 70's.She had bought him from a petshop when she was 5 and he was an adult then.I've had him 8 years so he must be in his 90's!And still producing offspring as well!!

[Coosh67]

Fred was bought in 1960 and was small then, so probably in his early to mid fifties now. He is a lovely spur thighed male but has a marginated look about his shell. It has been suggested by some of you wise ones that he may be a cross breed. His life long owner died when he was in hibernation and we know have the pleasure of his company.......except he is fast asleep in the shed!