Morphometrics and sexual dimorphism of the hinge‐back tortoises Kinixys erosa and Kinixys homeana (Reptilia: Testudinidae) in southwestern Cameroon

Abstract

Morphometric data on a series of forest‐dwelling hingeback tortoises, 138 Kinixys erosa and 74 Kinixys homeana, from the Southwest Province of Cameroon, Africa, where they are sympatric, are presented. The two species exhibited opposite trends in sexual size dimorphism. Unique among Kinixys, male K. erosa are significantly larger than females. All but two comparisons of height on length, width on length, and width on height allometries between males, females, and juveniles of each species were significantly different. Females of both species were relatively taller than their male counterparts. The two species differed in height/width growth allometry at sexual maturity.