Addo: December 2009

Addo: December 2009

Postby cornell » Sat Dec 12, 2009 9:05 am

Leopard Tortoise (Please correct me if I am wrong, i am still learning my tortoise species)
Date: 9 December 2009
Temperature (air): +-28 degrees celsius
Time: 11:00
Where: Addo Elephant National Park (Domkrag Dam)

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Leopard Tortoise (Again, please correct me if im wrong)
Date: 10 December 2009
Temperature (air): +-25 degrees celsius
Time: 09:30
Where: Addo Elephant National Park (Spekboom Hide)

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This chap below I found on the road (N2) between East London and Port Elizabeth yesterday (11 December 2009).
I have a question, do rock monitors sham death?

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Re: Addo: December 2009

Postby Bushviper » Sat Dec 12, 2009 7:51 pm

Yip both are Leopard tortoises. The top two are the reason for the one at the bottom. As they grow older the patterns change on the shell. The adults would be close to 45 or 50 years old judging by their size. The little one is probably less than a year old.

The leguaan is a Nile monitor and he is not shaming death he is dead. It is too risky for them to lie with their tongues out like that. The Nile monitor has the laterally compressed tail to help it swim while the Rock leguaan has a rounder tail.
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Re: Addo: December 2009

Postby cornell » Sat Dec 12, 2009 10:38 pm

Thanks for the info on the leguaan, as I was running from my car to check it out a huge truck drove within centimetres of it's head and he stayed in the same position without flinching so i figured he was already a goner. I just wanted to confirm the "playing dead" thing as I have heard of some snake species that fake death and have their tongues hanging out of their mouths and wanted to know if the same applied to leguaans. Thanks for the info about the tails, I will definitely look out for that in the future.

As for the leopard tortoises, Addo Elephant National Park is full up with these chaps. My girlfriend and I counted about 35 along a 5 kilometre stretch of road. Some of the tortoises they have at the park are ENORMOUS. The little chap was only a bit bigger than a man's watch face. As for the other two, it was quite a sight and as for the noises being made whilst on the job - well that was suprising to say the least!
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Re: Addo: December 2009

Postby Rob » Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:25 pm

In the Northern Cape its Barking geckos you listen out for.
In Eastern Cape its the grunt of a horny Leopard Tortoise
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Re: Addo: December 2009

Postby Death-Skull » Sun Dec 13, 2009 9:48 pm

leopard tortoises are VERY VOCAL during the act <LOL>

we seeing many young babies at this time year. Saw few yesterday,
------------"A GUY stands up for HIMSELF -BUT- A MAN stnands up for OTHERS"------------"Si vis pacem, para bellum"------------
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Re: Addo: December 2009

Postby alexander » Mon Dec 14, 2009 11:20 pm

Yeah, quite a few road kills where a wheel nicks the head. The reptile looks fine, but is dead.
Life is but a glimpse of triumph amongst incomprehensible failure.
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