"The Crying Tortoise"

[ShadowRancher]

Put me down for one if there is still any to be had!...it looks like a really great book!

 

[Tom]

Well I can't get any sort of volume discount. The book costs $30, including shipping. It is out of print and there are only around 50 copies left. Everyone who wants it should go directly through Tomas Diagne at the African Chelonian Institute. He gave me permission to share his contact email here for this purpose. You can reach him and order the book at:
[email protected]

Now hurry up and get it so we can all read it and compare notes!!!

 

[Tom]

Okay. So I've finished the book... twice. #3 in progress. It is a great read. Funny how a book gives you so much insight into the authors opinions and biases. This book is about the majestic sulcata. It is all about wild sulcatas. At the end of the book, he makes it pretty clear that he is not fond of keeping the sulcata in captivity. The book is very centered on how they are in the wild and trying to conserve them in the wild. There are all sorts of helpful tidbits that are useful to keepers. There are chapters on diet, burrowing, behavior, breeding, seasonal habits, the Sahel environment, and more. Apparently, they are opportunistic scavengers in the wild. They will eat all sorts of greenery as well as fruit, carrion, feces, garbage, rocks, soil, etc. The author comments that tortoises kept on concrete or other "sterile" surfaces seem to not thrive as much as their compatriots that are allowed to ingest dirt and rocks. He also notes that a lot of other animals go into their burrows to escape the tremendous heat as they die and the tortoises quickly eat these up.

Another interesting fact is that they sent a bunch of captive bred sulcatas from Europe back to Africa at one point. These animals behaved like our typical captive sulcatas and showed little or no desire to burrow while in their birthplaces in Europe. As soon as they were back in African weather, on sandy Sahelian soil, they immediately started burrowing. I found this very interesting especially after Tomas was so emphatic about how our captives behave so differently over here.

Another interesting fact is that 8-15% of the "wild" incubated hatchlings over there are hatched with split scutes. The author called them "scute anomalies". This is about the same ratio for my friend who incubates his Gpp in the ground over here. Also, the eggs take 6 months to hatch in the ground over there which I find interesting because the weather is always hot. I've been watching the weather there and its right around 100 every day and its winter there. The nights were getting down to 50-60, but now they are staying more consistently in the mid 60's as we move toward spring. I'm really curious what the night temps over there will do as we reach summer.

Here are a few pics from the book:

This is a big boy. It says he's 98kg.

This one shows the open foramen on some young shell skeletons. I did not know that they weren't solid early one. The caption says it takes 7-8 years for those foramen to close and the shell to become "solid". I had no idea.

Here is the old range (the dots) and the new speculated ranges as of 2000 (the grids).

This is one of my favorite photos of the book. The author does describe the hot, arid conditions of the Sahel region, but also explains how they take advantage of the rainy season.

 

[Zamric]

I dont understand the skeleton pic.... is that natural or is it some other accident or anomily?

 

[cemmons12]

Id love to get a copy of that if I can. Thanks for share'n that info Tom!! Wonder if he will let me pay with paypal? Thanks again!!!

 

[Tom]

I'm also just learning this, but my understanding is that they have open foramen, just like the top of a human babies skull at birth. And just like the human baby skull the foramen calcify and close up over time. You can see the progression of the holes closing in the two different shell skeleton pics. Notice how its solid along the top. I wonder what influence this has on pyramiding.

There are huge gaps in my knowledge of wild sulcata behavior and habits. This book filled in some of those gaps, but the whole picture is still not in focus. I really think I need to go there and experience it for myself to get the whole picture.

 

[ShadowRancher]

Well I can't get any sort of volume discount. The book costs $30, including shipping. It is out of print and there are only around 50 copies left. Everyone who wants it should go directly through Tomas Diagne at the African Chelonian Institute. He gave me permission to share his contact email here for this purpose. You can reach him and order the book at:
[email protected]

Now hurry up and get it so we can all read it and compare notes!!!

On it! email sent

 

[dmarcus]

I think its showing two different stages of shell growth. As they get older the shell becomes more solid..

 

[DeanS]

Here are a few pics from the book:

This is a big boy. It says he's 98kg.

This is one of my favorite photos of the book. The author does describe the hot, arid conditions of the Sahel region, but also explains how they take advantage of the rainy season.

I'm reading through it for the third time...this book is riveting! It appears to be the first in a series...judging by the cover Chelonii Volume 1, Jun 2000

The big boy is a captive specimen.

The second shot, Tom and I have a little debate over. I say the tortoise was slightly pyramided as a hatchling/yearling! Look at the original baby scute...a little button on top of perfect deeply grooved growth rings.

This book isn't recommended...it should be MANDATORY reading for sulcata keepers.

Great post Tom!

 

[cemmons12]

Hey Tom; what do you think the chances are that Ball State University here in Indiana would have this book? My son and daughter go there so she is going to look into it cause she said they have like every book u could think of when it comes to animals. Keeping my fingers crossed for sure!! Thanks!!

 

[Tom]

I have no idea. Certainly worth a try. Its a great book for sulcata owners.

 

[froghaven5]

This book look really interesting. I'd love to get one of these.

 

[cemmons12]

I have no idea. Certainly worth a try. Its a great book for sulcata owners.

Yeah that's what I said to Ash, I hope she finds it! Thanks for the info about the book to begin with though!!!

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Great posts!

 

[Tom]

This book look really interesting. I'd love to get one of these.

It's written from a different perspective that the books I am used to. It is a French author and it's written from the point of view of understanding them in the wild. I also know that it was heavily influenced by my friend Tomas from Senegal. Tomas and I talked about the book and it's contents a bit before I got it. They are compiling data and future books will be even better.

 

[mobtech]

Got my copy. Can not wait to change my tortoises life.

 

[DeanS]

Congratulations! If it has the same effect on you that it did me (and Tom)...you'll read it straight through a few times. After that, you'll find yourself referring back to it countless times...enjoy!

 

[Zamric]

Got my copy yesterday! Already 1/2 way thru it (got it in the mail then had to go to work! )

 

[Tom]

What do you think so far?

 

[Zamric]

What do you think so far?

Well, WalkingRock just got to try his 1st Mango because of it! He smiled!!

I was surprized to see info on the leopard tort as well... didn't realize there was so much shared history between the 2 in a battle for land and resources!