African Hingeback Tortoise Central

Dedicated to the Care and Biology of Tortoises of the Genus Kinixys

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I created this page in the summer of 2001 when I had quite a bit of spare time between college and graduate school. There are plenty of errors and typos, but there is still some good information on these pages. I am no longer updating this page. To see what I am up to now, check out the Ohio Nature Blog by going here: Buckeye State-An Ohio Nature Blog

Species Homepages--Click for Care Information

Bell's Hingeback (K. belliana species)

Home's Hingeback (K. homeana)

Forest Hingeback (K. erosa)

Natal Hinged Tortoise (K. natalensis)

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Female	Hortense1	Hortense2	Hortense4
Hortense5	Hotense3

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Introduction

Hingeback tortoises, as those in the Genus Kinixys are known, are relatively small tortoises that are distributed throughout sub-saharan Africa. Consisting of several species and subspecies, they are offered as wild caught specimens in many pet shops. A Home's Hingeback became my first pet tortoise, but it died quickly. After I had three hingeback tortoises die, I gave up keeping hingeback until I started college, and realized how demanding these species can be to take care of when they are freshly imported. One of the ways I learned about the proper care of tortoises was through internet listserve's, like turtle-l.
After realizing the challenges to keeping tortoises, I now keep three bell's hingebacks. I have one female Kinixys bellliana nogueyi, a subspecies of the Bell's Hingeback, according to Erst and Barbour (1989). I also have two other Bell's type hingebacks that i do not know which race they belong to. Because of these differeces and variation amongst members of this genus that I have seen, i've become especially interested in the taxonomy of this confusing genus. I hope to develop this page to be a place to share experiences with keeping hingeback tortoises, and provide a center of information where an owner of a new hingeback tortoise can get a good start learning about the needs of a newly imported tortoise. I would also like to encourage and document captive breeding efforts.

Hopefully, Kinixys and all turtle and tortoise and turtle species will be banned from importation in the future. Although Kinixys belliana are no longer imported into the United States because they carry a tick that may carry a deadly cattle disease, K. erosa and homeana are being imported at great numbers, even though these are on ofthe most difficult tortoise species to keep. There is recent thought and discussion that these tortoises are chronically dehydrated in captivity, because they are actually semi-aquatic.
Hopefully captive breeding programs can be established to relieve the stress on wild Kinixys populations as has occurred in other tortoise species.

General Information

"Hinge-Back Tortoises," by the Tortoise Trust
A page by the Tortoise Trust that outlines basic care for Kinixys belliana, K.erosa, and K. homeana.

Species Specific Information Sheets

• Kinixys belliana (Bell's Hingeback Tortoise)

  "Western Hinge-back Tortoise", by Lisa Morris
  This article was originally published in the Tortuga Gazette. It outlines the care and a breeding experience of the subspecies Kinixys belliana nogueyi

• Kinixys erosa(Forest or Eroded Hingeback Tortoise)

  "Kinixys erosa (Schweigger 1812) A Captive breeding experience," by the Tortoise Trust
  This is another excellent page from the tortoise trust
  
  
  "The Yertle Memoral Page"
  This site outlines the care for the Forest hingeback, K. erosa. Unfortunately Yertle proved that freshly imported forest hingebacks do not make good pets.

Species Homepages