turtle and tortoise club
View allAll Photos Tagged tortoise
Ile aux Aigrettes, Mauritius
There were originally 5 species of giant tortoise in the Mascarene Islands (Mauritius, Reunion and Rodrigues) and they were a vital part of the eco system on the islands particularly for seed dispersal. All were hunted to extinction and the Aldabra Tortoise of the Seychelles is now the nearest living relative. These have been introduced onto Ile aux Aigrettes to help fill the void left by the extinct native species.
My mom was going through old boxes to get rid of stuff she didn't need and re-box what she wanted... she came across this picture of me when I was in 3rd grade at Lafayette Elementary School. Funny isn't it? I haven't seen it ever before...
Lafayette is a suburb of Boulder
Notice my old school Broncos shirt :oD lol
Yes this school is as ghetto as it looks. Anandh and I went by it before we left for Oklahoma... same depressed area, but I don't know if the turtle is still there..
The Radiated Tortoise (Geochelone radiata) is one of the most protected species of tortoise in the world. Within the reptile world, it is something of a poster child for environmental conservation. In the U.S., this means that--in order to keep them legally--one must obtain a USFWS captive bred wildlife permit, and many states require their own licenses atop this U.S. one!
The protection is helping. Today, it is likely that over 3,000 of these tortoises are living and breeding in the U.S., while civilization continues to encroach on their homelands in Madagascar.
The captively-cared for juvenile photographed here is approximately four years old and could have well more than 100 years to go!
Aldabra Tortoises may live over 150 years. They evolved their giant size on small islands free from threats of humans.
Taken at Taronga Zoo in Sydney during a recent visit.
The gopher tortoise is a species of the Gopherus genus native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide shelter for at least 360 known other animal species. Hernando, Florida, USA.
Spotted this large Gopher Tortoise while out Geocaching. The Gopher Tortoise is listed as a threatened species but I do see them often as they are not shy at all. This one came within inches of me while I was taking photos.
Giant tortoise portrait, taken with a Nikon D600 and 300mm Nikkor lens. All my published books, available world wide, can be viewed here:
www.amazon.com/stores/Paul-Moore/author/B0075LNIO2?ref=ap...
(Sq Crop) A very lovely "Small Tortoiseshell" Aglais urticae.. butterfly sun bathing whilst feeding on some "Buddleja davidii" ?? in Shaldon.. A sight to behold
I just met this big girl in my backyard. Not the same Gopher Tortoise as the previous photo. It's biggest one I've seen so far; easily a foot long. I've been down with a cold, but I hope to get out on the river tomorrow with the camera.
Citrus County, FL
During a recent trip in the foothills, we almost ran over this little guy. He was sitting in the middle of a country road just kind of kicking back. It wasn't a very good place for what he was doing this so I stopped and put him on the side of the road. I tried to get a picture of him with his head out of the shell, but he was a little camera shy. He might have been mad that I moved him from his spot in the road. Anyway, this was the best shot I could get.
Desert tortoise on his rounds to find food
One of the most difficult issues facing tortoises is high mortality among the newly hatched. It is believed that only 1-5 of 100 tortoises born survive to adulthood.
Photo to Painterly Effect. The Galápagos tortoise or Galápagos giant tortoise is the largest living species of tortoise and the 14th-heaviest living reptile.
In Florida gopher tortoises are on the Endangered Species List, categorized as a Threatened Species.
The gopher tortoise (gopherus polyphemus) belongs to a group of land tortoises that originated in North America 60 million years ago, thus making it one of the oldest living species.
Gopher tortoises are so named because of their ability to dig large, deep burrows. The gopher tortoise is unique in that it is one of the few tortoises to actually make large burrows. Many tortoises hide under vegetation or use very shallow burrows.
These guys are a lot more gentle than the Snapping Turtle. In fact, I don't think you can get one to bite you. (smile)
I found this one on the Pevine Trail in Osceola County, Florida.