Beware of thieves! Unfortunately, in the media you read again and again about brazen and organized turtle thieves. If you keep rare and valuable ray turtles, you have to expect to become a victim of greedy gangsters at any time. Therefore, we advise all owners of ray turtles not to invest too little in effective security systems. This includes alarm systems, video surveillance, security locks,
Hygiene strengthens the immune system of Astrochelys radiata As ground-dwelling reptiles, turtles in the wild simply deposit their excrement haphazardly in the open. Liquids dry out quickly in the sun and gut bacteria are killed by the intense UV radiation. Insects, worms and microorganisms in the soil completely decompose and utilize the droppings. Also
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
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
Food specialist with high demands As wild animals, radiated tortoises are well adapted to the conditions and resources in the habitat. Their diet can be seen as an adaptation to the conditions in the natural habitat. Southwestern Madagascar consists mainly of barren, parched vegetation with very slow growing plants rich in minerals, trace elements, vitamins, crude fiber