Cherry-head elbow spur use?

[Madkins007]

One of the defining characteristics of the Eastern, Brazilian, or Cherry-head type of Red-foot tortoise is supposed to be a prominent elbow spur, or an enlarged colored scale near the foreleg joint.

A couple of authors have observed that the spur is at least sometimes used to pull plants over to reach leaves, flowers, etc.

My question is- has anyone here seen that sort of thing, or the spurs being used for anything else?

 

[matt41gb]

I've never witnessed it before. If anything, I wonder if it provides stability during mating. Are the males elbow spurs larger than the female's spurs? It may be one of those things like, why do dogs have a dew claw, or why do we have an appendix? I've noticed that yellow-foots also have this enlarged scale. In my opinion, I believe it really serves little, to no purpose whatsoever.

-Matt

 

[Madkins007]

Matt- it may well be an evolutionary 'glitch', have a value in sex somehow (attracting a mate, possibly, as in "Oooohhh.... what nice elbow spurs you have, big boy!"), or possibly something more often seen in wild specimens in more natural settings.

I have never seen mine do anything with them either, but right now my guys are little and indoors. I would love to know what other keepers, especially in semi-natural areas like Florida, have seen.