ACTIVE & HUNTING TIME

[Musa Nathan]

My tortoise is kept in the open....Please what time of the day is my Hingeback activate?

 

[wellington]

What do you mean kept in the open? More info please.

 

[Yvonne G]

@Jacqui @Will @tortadise @Anyfoot Can any of you help this member with what time of day the hingeback tortoise should be actively out and searching for food?

 

[Anyfoot]

Not sure all hingebacks are the same but my homeana are active at dawn and at dusk.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

I have K. erosa in enclosures with low light, they will eat right away as food is put in, but I have heard them eating at all hours, they have squeaky beaks. I have some K. spekii that eat as soon as the food is put in, and off and on throughout the day. I don't think they eat at night.

I typically feed within a half hour of 5am light on time.

I too want to know what does 'kept in the open" mean? All tortoises should have some sort of retreat.

 

[tortadise]

My tortoise is kept in the open....Please what time of the day is my Hingeback activate?

Dusk and dawn.

 

[Musa Nathan]

What do you mean kept in the open? More info please.

I have a huge piece of land where they roam freely...

 

[Musa Nathan]

@Jacqui @Will @tortadise @Anyfoot Can any of you help this member with what time of day the hingeback tortoise should be actively out and searching for food?

Need to know please if they are nocturnal?

 

[Musa Nathan]

I have K. erosa in enclosures with low light, they will eat right away as food is put in, but I have heard them eating at all hours, they have squeaky beaks. I have some K. spekii that eat as soon as the food is put in, and off and on throughout the day. I don't think they eat at night.

I typically feed within a half hour of 5am light on time.

I too want to know what does 'kept in the open" mean? All tortoises should have some sort of retreat.

I have a huge piece of land 2 ha..& keep 4 hingebacks on it without enclosures...

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

I have a huge piece of land 2 ha..& keep 4 hingebacks on it without enclosures...

@Musa Nathan so that explains so much. Thanks. Identity of the species might help. Is there a chance next time you see one you could post a photo?

Typically burrowing species are pretty inactive at night while forest scrub species might have night activity, as they have cover in the form of trees, fallen leaves and low growing plants. Night activity is also driven by food choices. If there is no advantage to being out at night then they don't do that. It is colder at night, and more large predators are out and about actively seeking prey.

 

[Musa Nathan]

@Musa Nathan so that explains so much. Thanks. Identity of the species might help. Is there a chance next time you see one you could post a photo?

Typically burrowing species are pretty inactive at night while forest scrub species might have night activity, as they have cover in the form of trees, fallen leaves and low growing plants. Night activity is also driven by food choices. If there is no advantage to being out at night then they don't do that. It is colder at night, and more large predators are out and about actively seeking prey.

It’s a Hingeback Tortoise...

 

[Yvonne G]

It’s a Hingeback Tortoise...

I think he meant he'd like to know which sub species of hingeback.

 

[Musa Nathan]

Are they nocturnal in the wild...

 

[Anyfoot]

Are they nocturnal in the wild...

There are several species of hingebacks, you can't get help until we know what specific species of hingeback you have because they are all different in one way or another.

 

[tortadise]

Are they nocturnal in the wild...

Depends on the species.

Most Kinixys are active early morning and early evening. Southeast African Kinixys zombensis are most active after the morning dew and commonly seen rampaging when moisture elevates. Kinixys erosa and homeana are always active throughout the day. They are forest cleaners and always have direct coverage and filtered light conditions. Kinixys belliana nogyuie is relatively the same as homeana and erosa. Kinixys belliana are
Active early early morning before extreme heat overtakes the day. Kinixys natalaensis are
Active morning and evenings and during rainstorms but incredibly less active during winter. Kinixys lobatsiana are most active when spring brings rains, other than that they are strictly early early morning before the extreme heat of the arid topography over takes. Kinixys donergueyi are active early
Mornings before heat overtakes in northwest Madagascar.

Most Kinixys are the same. None are crespecular or nocturnal strictly. Usually if the active behavior is at night is because they are out of the wild element in which they came from. Sometimes confining animals to a large backyard is worth than keeping them in a large enclosure or tub. It can confuse them thinking they are back in the wild but limited. Also could be a Gravid female finding a suitable place to lay eggs.

 

[Markw84]

It’s a Hingeback Tortoise...

I this the tortoise you posted a picture of asking for species ID? Since you are in Zimbabwe, that would fit If so that was a K. spekii. Fairly common there, and about the only one @tortadise did not mention in his detailed post!!

Here's one of the picture you posted there. I would think this is the one's you are asking about as you have the tile tracker on it??

 

[Musa Nathan]

I this the tortoise you posted a picture of asking for species ID? Since you are in Zimbabwe, that would fit If so that was a K. spekii. Fairly common there, and about the only one @tortadise did not mention in his detailed post!!

Here's one of the picture you posted there. I would think this is the one's you are asking about as you have the tile tracker on it??

It’s a Hinge-back Tortoise...

The tile tracker helps because I have a huge garden...

 

[wellington]

Hmmm?