Diet of the namaqualand speckled padloper, homopus signatus signatus, in early spring

Abstract

A baseline determination of the early spring (August ‐ September) diet of the Namaqualand speckled padloper (Homopus signatus signatus) was accomplished using in situ observation and faecal analysis methods. I analysed 13 focal observations and 49 faecal samples. Tortoises fed on a broad variety of plant species, possibly supplemented with a few insects. Important food items appeared to be Oxalis spp., Leysera tenella, Grielum humifusum and Crassula thunbergiana minutiflora. Crassula t. minutiflora may be a potential source of water as it is a succulent. Flowers were present in 96% of the faecal samples and may be an effect of the study period. Almost all faecal samples contained nematodes and their eggs, sometimes in huge quantities, but the effect on the tortoise population is not known. Since only 50 ‐ 60% of the faecal volume could be identified, care must be taken in deriving conclusions from this study. I recommend that future dietary studies of H. s. signatus emphasise focal observations, include pollen analysis, and determine food availability in different seasons to identify preferences and temporal shifts.