''Kinixys'' is a genus of turtles in the family Testudinidae. The genus was erected by Thomas Bell in 1827. The species in the genus ''Kinixys'' are native to

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...

and Madagascar and commonly known as hinged tortoises or hinge-back tortoises. Most of the ''Kinixys'' species are

omnivore An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nutr ...

s. They feed mainly on a wide range of different leaves, weeds, roots, flowers and fruits. However, they also eat worms, insects and other small invertebrates.

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus ''Kinixys'': *''Kinixys belliana'' –

Bell's hinge-back tortoise Bell's hinge-back tortoise (''Kinixys belliana''), also known commonly as Bell's eastern hinged tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to central Africa. It has the hinge that characterizes all ...

*''Kinixys erosa'' – forest hinge-back tortoise *''Kinixys homeana'' – Home's hinge-back tortoise *''Kinixys lobatsiana'' – Lobatse hinge-back tortoise *''Kinixys natalensis'' – Natal hinge-back tortoise *'' Kinixys nogueyi'' *''Kinixys spekii'' –

Speke's hinge-back tortoise Speke's hinge-back tortoise (''Kinixys spekii''), also known commonly as Speke's hingeback tortoise, is a species of turtle in the family Testudinidae. The species is endemic to Africa. Etymology The specific name, ''spekii'', is in hono ...

*'' Kinixys zombensis'' '' Nota bene'': A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Kinixys''. Three species of ''Kinixys'': ''K. nogueyi'', ''K. erosa'', ''K. homeana''. (Illustration G. Aeschimann).

Distribution and habitat

The several species of the genus ''Kinxys'' are found across much of tropical and sub-tropical

sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...

, ranging as far south as

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...

in South Africa, and as far north as the fringes of the

Sahel The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid c ...

and

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

. However, individuals are often very scarce within this range, and several species are threatened. Though the species' wide geographic ranges overlap considerably, they are separated from each other by favouring different habitats within this range. Some species (such as ''K. belliana'') favour open

savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...

or grasslands, others (such as ''K. homeana'') favour rainforest.

Parasites

Species of tortoises in the genus ''Kinixys'' play host to a number of ectoparasites (external) and endoparasites (internal). A survey (by Alan Probert & Clive Humphreys) of mixed captive ''K. spekii'' and ''K. belliana'' (mostly ''K. spekii'') in Zimbabwe showed that the following parasites were known to infest/infect this species. This had been observed and published by others too. However some of the tiny roundworms (photographed under scanning electron microscope) are very likely new species and as yet remain undescribed. *Ticks (Arachnida) *Roundworms (Nematoda) – ''Angusticium'', ''Atractis'' and ''Tachygontria''

Species

Distribution and habitat

Parasites

References

Further reading