Humidity Except during the rainy season, humidity in Astrochelys radiata habitat is not produced by precipitation or evaporation of soil moisture, but mainly by sublimation of moist air. Specifically, seawater evaporates due to intense solar radiation on the southwest coast of Madagascar. This moist air reaches the coastal region as well as the interior through air currents. Due to the
Two seasons There are two main seasons in Astrochelys radiata habitat, differing mainly in day-night temperature gradient and rainfall. A Malagasy summer covers the months of September to May. During this time it is very hot and mostly dry. Although the rainy season lasts from November to March, in some
Outdoor facilities Turtles have physical and psychological needs that are often completely neglected by us humans in keeping them. Tortoises want to sunbathe, run around in the fresh air, forage, graze in the field, hide, and communicate and interact with conspecifics in tortoise fashion. All of this is usually limited in indoor facilities.
Indoor facility Since Astrochelys radiata originates from a subtropical climate zone, it does not hibernate. It is therefore necessary to keep radiated tortoises in our latitudes during the cold season in a heated and light-flooded indoor facility. This is especially with adult specimens with some effort in space and technical equipment. Basically there are
Controlled water release As a typical inhabitant of semi-arid zones, the water balance of Astrochelys radiata is adapted to long dry periods. Often, in their habitat, the entire rainfall of a year falls in only a short period of time and the rest of the year remains hot and dry. Water is accordingly a rare, precious commodity and is used by
A versatile and interesting beauty Astrochelys radiata is a gentle, sensitive and rather pacifistic tortoise. In captivity, outside the mating season, it is usually extremely tolerant and compatible with conspecifics of both sexes. Hand-raised Radiated Tortoises become very trusting, like to be fed by hand and also to be cuddled on the head. Adult, tame
Distribution Astrochelys radiata is an endemic species and lives exclusively in the southwest of Madagascar. It is found in an area of about 21000 km2 between the rivers Onilahy and Mandrare. Today it still occurs naturally in a narrow belt of land extending from the coast to about 50 km inland. The
Malagasy Radiated Tortoise Astochelys radiata Shaw, 1802 Of the five species of tortoises found in Madagascar today, Astrochelys radiata is the best known. It is considered one of the most beautiful and admired tortoise species in the world because of its striking ray markings. It is the closest relative of the Malagasy beaked tortoise (Astrochelys yiniphora), which can only be found in a
Energy source sun The southwest of Madagascar is a dry, hot region flooded by the subtropical sun. On the coast, the sunlight is additionally reflected by the sea, so that the local flora and fauna are exposed to relatively high and direct solar radiation all year round. As a typical inhabitant of this semiarid zone is
Basics Radiated tortoises are wild animals that are evolutionarily adapted to a very specific habitat. In contrast to most domestic and farm animals, they cannot adapt to different climatic zones or to ecological conditions foreign to their species. Due to their limited adaptability, it is imperative that captive animals are kept as close to nature and species-appropriate as possible. Often offered