The hawk-billed tortoise, named for its resemblance to an eagle, is also known as the parrot-billed tortoise and the hook-billed tortoise. It is a species of tortoise endemic to South Africa and one of the well-known species of tortoise. However, it is difficult to see hawk-billed tortoises in the pet market, because they are rare in number, are nationally protected animals, and are strictly prohibited from trading.

However, artificially bred hawk-billed tortoises are allowed to be raised, but a Wild Animal Domestication and Breeding License is required in advance. Below, the editor will come to popularize its basic information, and let everyone know it in depth!

1. Species classification

There are five species of hawk-billed tortoises, namely common parrot turtle, spotted parrot turtle, Karoo parrot turtle, Berger Parrot-billed turtles and large parrot-billed turtles, these five species of hawk-billed turtles are all distributed in the Horned Province of South Africa, and are also endemic tortoise species in South Africa. Of these, only the spotted parrot turtle has a subspecies, the slender parrot turtle.

II. Appearance characteristics

The body length of the eagle-billed tortoise is about 8-12 cm, and it is a smaller species. During the breeding season, the tip of the hawk-billed tortoise will turn red and the chin will be slightly reddish. In addition, it is also easy to distinguish between male and female hawk-billed tortoises. Male tortoises have thick and long tails, while females are round and short.

III. Habits

Hawkill tortoises are active in warm mornings, and they gather in the sun to keep warm. When the body is warm, it becomes active and actively explores the entire area in search of food. When the sun gets hot, they will gradually settle down and will not hide or return to their nests, preferring to hide under short shrubs.

4. Eating habits

In terms of diet, they have very special requirements for food. In South Africa, they almost only eat special drought-tolerant plants, such as cacti.

So in captivity, it is difficult to find fruits and vegetables suitable for feeding it. According to the management of many turtle lovers, their staple food cactus can be replaced by cucumbers. As for other foods such as carrots and pumpkins, you need to try one by one until you find what it likes.

V. Breeding

The reason why the number of hawk-billed tortoises is rare is closely related to their reproduction. Female turtles only lay eggs once a year, one at a time, and it takes about 115 days to hatch between 28-30 degrees, which takes a lot longer than other turtle species. Moreover, even if the hatching is successful, feeding the hatchlings requires a lot of energy!

The above is the relevant information about hawk-billed tortoises, I hope to help you better understand them and protect them!