Introduction: New member from Madagascar

[Aeva]

Hello everyone ! I live on the beautiful island of Madagascar, where I own 6 tortoises. 4 of them are Pyxis Arachnoides, and 2, I think are Pelusios Castaneus but I'm not sure. I just had them for a few days. I'm so glad to be here to share with you my love of these little amazing creatures. 1st picture: the two females Deb and Lumen. 2nd picture: the two males Dexter and James. 3rd picture: Harold, the male one of the new specimen I'm not sure about. He is still shy. Kaïa, the female, had dig a hole and is still hiding.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello,and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
Just love your tortoises.
Madagascar is the most incredible place, both for wildlife and for its fossils. (i am a palaeontologist).
Nice to have you all with us.

 

[Aeva]

Yeah, Madagascar is beautiful, but unfortunately, wildlife is very endangered. Most of the population do not care about it. That's the dark side of being a poor country. I saved these tortoises from a traffic. The man who was selling them had like twenty tortoises in a plastic bag... but I couldn't save them all.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Yes i have heard and read some horror stories regarding deforestation, poaching, trafficking and so on.
Very sad.

 

[Yvonne G]

The last picture is of some sort of side neck, and it's a water turtle, not a tortoise. Put him in water immediately. He's probably terribly dehydrated.

@Markw84 ??

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi

 

[Aeva]

The last picture is of some sort of side neck, and it's a water turtle, not a tortoise. Put him in water immediately. He's probably terribly dehydrated.

@Markw84 ??

I put them in water but they keep sprinting to hide in sand... Maybe they just want to accomodate their new home ... ??

 

[Alaskamike]

They were taken from wild most likely. They will be very afraid of new situations & you. Try to run & hide at every opportunity.

It takes time to settle down.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Welcome to the forum. Beautiful tortoises (and turtle!).

 

[Markw84]

I would need to see a picture that is in focus. From what I can make out, I would think this is an African helmeted turtle. Pelomedusa subrufa

It sure looks like one, But without a better picture, cannot be certain. It is most definitely an aquatic, or technically semi-aquatic species and needs to be in water. They are pretty carnivorous and are the turtles you may have seen in nature shows, capturing birds at the water surface and pulling them under to eat them! They certainly love carrion. I would try feeding some pieces of meat and see if it will start taking pellets. Like all aquatic turtles, it must eat in the water in order to swallow food.

 

[rolley]

Welcome arva

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome.

 

[TammyJ]

They are all precious and I hope you can provide or find a good life for them!
Welcome to the site.

 

[Aeva]

I would need to see a picture that is in focus. From what I can make out, I would think this is an African helmeted turtle. Pelomedusa subrufa

It sure looks like one, But without a better picture, cannot be certain. It is most definitely an aquatic, or technically semi-aquatic species and needs to be in water. They are pretty carnivorous and are the turtles you may have seen in nature shows, capturing birds at the water surface and pulling them under to eat them! They certainly love carrion. I would try feeding some pieces of meat and see if it will start taking pellets. Like all aquatic turtles, it must eat in the water in order to swallow food.

Here are some closer pics to help you identify my turtles. What kind of meat can I give them ? Beef, pork, chicken, or maybe fish? I'm at work all time but maybe I'll try to take them out the enclosure and put them in a baby tub with water and food in order to make them eat a little. Thank you so much for your help !

 

[Markw84]

Oh my!! I'm on my iPhone now but that just may be one of the rarest turtles in the world - Madagascar big headed turtle! Let me get home and look on my computer where I can see better!!!!

 

[TammyJ]

Oh my!! I'm on my iPhone now but that just may be one of the rarest turtles in the world - Madagascar big headed turtle! Let me get home and look on my computer where I can see better!!!!

WOW!!! I was just looking at the pics of it and thought, what a HUGE head it has! Wow again!!!
Waiting to see how this turns out!!!

 

[Markw84]

OK Back on my computer now with a better look. That is an African Helmeted Turtle. Pelomedusa subrufa
The plastral scutes with the large intergular is definitely Pelomedusa, not Erynmochelys.

 

[Aeva]

OK Back on my computer now with a better look. That is an African Helmeted Turtle. Pelomedusa subrufa
The plastral scutes with the large intergular is definitely Pelomedusa, not Erynmochelys.

Thank you very much for your help. Yes they have a huge flat head. I made some researches to i.d. them before but couldn't find the real species, as the pelomedusa subrufa pictures I found didn't match mines. My turtles' skin are ALL black, they're about 4" now. The picture below is their enclosure. On the right down side (I put a little red arrow), you can see one of them hiding in some grass. In the little pond, I put some crawfishes. Maybe I should make some changes and build a bigger pond where I can raise fishes, but this is not possible before a few weeks. This enclosure (13ftx6.5ft) is the only spot in my garden where I can raise all of them (2 turtles and 4 tortoises). My tortoises are easy to take care of, but my new challenge is now to give my new turtles the best.

 

[Hermany'sMum]

Isn't this place great? Tortoises from all over the world

 

[TammyJ]

Nice! Love that little turtle. Yes, I was looking at some pics of the Big Headed Madagascar turtle and saw that they have a very definite "snout" quite different to the African Helmeted turtle - at least the pictures I saw of them had a really pointed, snorkel-like nose like some of the soft-shelled turtles I have seen.
This is such an interesting thread!