Knockhatch Tortoises

We recently acquired Issac, a Horsefield Tortoise.  These tortoises are extremely robust and climate hardy. They are known to have a friendly nature and love to dig and climb.

They have a roundish shell (carapace) and are different from other tortoises because they have four claws on their front feet.  They are small with males reaching 16cm and females 20cm in length.  And they can reach up to the age of 60 years if carefully taken care of.  They are native to Central Asia, Russian Steppes, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, India, Iran and parts of China, their common names are Horsefields, Tortoise, Russian Tortoise, Central Asian Tortoise, Russian Steppe Tortoise, Four-Clawed Tortoise, Afgan Tortoise.

They live in hot dry inhospitable places where the climate can range from extreme heat to severe cold. They are only active for a few months as they tend to brumate/hibernate during the cold spells and then aastivation/bury down below the ground surface in hot weather to stop becoming dehydrated.

They are one of the easiest to care for although they are quite high maintenance and require a keeper to and both indoor and outdoor enclosures to ensure they stay healthy and happy.

A male has longer tails than females, so if it is large enough to tuck up to one side then this usually means it is a male, in comparison the female tails are shorter. Males tend to have curved shells whilst the females is usually flattened. but these are not always an accurate way of determining the sex! 

Leopard Tortoise

These are found across South Africa and are the 4th largest land tortoise in the world. They inhabit grassland and savannah. They are vegetarian and do not hibernate

American Box Turtle

A tortoise found widely across the United States and Mexico. Generally found in woodland. They are mainly carnivorous, they will eat almost anything.

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